By Victor Kanayo
Organisers have announced the postponement of four scheduled matches in the top flight of Italian football, hours after the demise of Pope Francis.
Four Serie A matches – Torino v Udinese, Cagliari v Fiorentina, Genoa v Lazio and Parma v Juventus – had been scheduled to be played on Easter Monday, which is a national holiday in Italy.
The matches will instead be played on Wednesday, 23 April.
The Vatican announced on Monday morning that Pope Francis had died at the age of 88, having recently been discharged from hospital following five weeks of treatment for an infection.
Pope Francis was elected to lead the Catholic Church in 2013, replacing Pope Benedict XVI.
The 88-year-old was a known football fan and had supported Argentine side San Lorenzo since he was a child.
A number of Serie A clubs also posted tributes to the Pope following his passing.
