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The
Pope says football has a crucial role to play in teaching
young people the important lessons of life.
Pope Benedict XVI says the beautiful game could teach youngsters
about honesty, solidarity and fraternity.
But he also raised concerns about corruption damaging the
image of the game, reports the BBC.
The German-born pontiff, said to be a Bayern Munich fan,
was meeting Italian football officials.
“I’d
like the game of football to be a vehicle for the education
of the values of honesty, solidarity and fraternity, especially
among younger generations,” he said.
Italian football has been embarrassed by a string of investigations
into corruption and match-fixing allegations in recent years.
And the League has been suspended twice in successive seasons
as the Federation tries to combat a spate of hooliganism.
It is the second time this season that the Vatican has turned
its attention to football. In October, the Vatican sporting
club announced it was joining forces with AC Ancona, a team
in the second division, Serie B.
Since then, they have introduced a new code of ethics. There
are now cheaper seats for families and club players who
were booked for unsporting behaviour are subject to tough
new sanctions.
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