Pope meets Real Madrid players
Spanish giants Real Madrid had an unusual build-up to their Tuesday Champions League clash with AS Roma - an audience with Pope John Paul II at his summer residence in Castelgandolfo on Monday.
Spanish giants Real Madrid had an unusual build-up to their Tuesday Champions League clash with AS Roma - an audience with Pope John Paul II at his summer residence in Castelgandolfo on Monday.
The pope, who kept goal for a local side as a young man in his native Poland, urged Figo, Zinedane Zidane and the other Real stars to use their positions as world renowned footballers to promote christian values.
"The Church," he said, "regards sport as an instrument of education - promoting human and spiritual ideals and helping young people to follow values such as loyalty, perseverance, friendship, solidarity and peace."
He added: "Sport, in rising above cultural differences and ideologies, is a privileged opportunity for dialogue and understanding between people for the development of a society based on love."
Real Madrid in turn presented the pope with honorary club membership.
After the meeting Real were due at Rome's Olympic stadium for a training session prior to Tuesday night's first step on the road to the defence of their Champions League crown.