VATICAN CITY: That Pope Leo XIV is a Chicago White Sox fan and likes to play tennis has already been established.

The most pressing sports question for many locals inside the Vatican and surrounding Italy concerning the first American pope remains a mystery, though.

Does Leo support an Italian football club?

Leo cast doubt on the assumption that he鈥檚 a Roma fan during a private audience with freshly crowned Italian champions Napoli 鈥� Roma鈥檚 rival 鈥� on Tuesday. But his comments revealed he follows the Italian game.

When Leo entered the Clementine Hall inside the Apostolic Palace where Napoli鈥檚 players and staff were seated, there was a slight delay before the guests applauded.

鈥淢aybe they didn鈥檛 want to applaud because in the media they say I鈥檓 a Romanista,鈥� Leo said, referring to Roma fans. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what the press says. Not everything that you read in the press is true.鈥�

Napoli clinched their fourth Serie A title following a 2-0 win over Cagliari on Friday with goals from Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku.

Napoli president and film producer Aurelio Del Laurentiis presented Leo with a Napoli No. 10 shirt 鈥� the same number worn by the late Diego Maradona when he played for the southern Italian team 鈥� with the pope鈥檚 name on it and featuring signatures from all of the club鈥檚 players.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e a No. 10,鈥� De Laurentiis said, referring to the number often worn by a team鈥檚 most talented forward.

When De Laurentiis introduced Napoli coach Antonio Conte, the pope cut him off and said 鈥淚 know him from the (TV) screen, I鈥檝e seen him many times.鈥�

Conte has also coached Italy鈥檚 national team, as well as Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan.

鈥淗e鈥檚 profoundly Catholic,鈥� De Laurentiis said of Conte. 鈥淗e鈥檚 someone who believes in God very attentively and goes to pray often.鈥�

Leo cited the 鈥渟ocial aspect鈥� of Napoli鈥檚 title.

鈥淲e know how popular football is in Italy and practically the entire world,鈥� Leo said. 鈥淪o, in that respect, the social value of an achievement like this, which is greater than the mere technical-sports aspect, is an example of a team that works together, in which the individual talents are sacrificed for the common good.鈥�

The pope also warned that 鈥渨hen sports becomes a business, it risks losing the values that make it educational, and it can actually become un-educational.鈥�

鈥淚 want to make an appeal to parents and sports officials: you need to pay careful attention to the moral quality of the sports experience at the competitive level, because it has an impact on the humane growth of young people,鈥� Leo said.

The meeting with Napoli came less than two weeks after Leo held a private audience with top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner.