Benitez applaudes Pope’s soccer examples

P(ANSA) – Rome, May 2 – Soccer players should heed the advice of Pope Francis and be an example to others when watched by millions on the field, Napoli coach Rafa Benitez said Friday.BR”It was my first time at the Vatican and I had a beautiful experience,” Benitez said after an audience with the Argentine pontiff on the eve of the Naples club’s Italian Cup final against Fiorentina in Rome Saturday.BRThe pope urged players to remember that they are an example and role models for fans.BR”I understood what Pope Francis said about soccer,” said Benitez.BR”He is absolutely right, we players on the field must be an example for everyone”.BRAmong the southern team’s players at the audience was Argentinian striker Gonzalo Higuain who said that every meeting with Francis is special. “Last August, I was here with my national team,” he was quoted as saying on his club website, “but I have to say that it is always something exceptional. “Pope Francis said very beautiful things and his words touched us profoundly”.BRNapoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis gave the pope a blue soccer shirt emblazoned with the pontifical coat of arms and ‘Francis 1’ written on the back, “because he is the goalkeeper of souls”. http://popefrancisnewsapp.com/ /P
pa href=”http://ansa.feedsportal.com/c/34225/f/621716/s/39febbb6/sc/38/l/0L0Sansa0Bit0Cenglish0Cnews0Cvatican0C20A140C0A50C0A20Cbenitez0Eapplaudes0Epopes0Esoccer0Eexamples0Ia95537ef0E9e950E4eda0E870A60Ebe38762ddd340Bhtml/story01.htm” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”View the original article here/a/p