Soccer enthusiast Pope Francis receives foosball table as gift at Open Audience

During Pope Francis' eight-year papacy, he has received dozens of soccer jerseys and game balls, but on Wednesday, he received a new football-med toy, his own foosball table. Representatives from Sport Toscana Calcio Balilla in Altopascio, a Tuscany-based table football association, presented Pope table at end of his open audience.

Altopascio mayor posted images on Facebook

Sara D'Ambrosio, mayor of Altopascio, posted on Facebook that table was created to be inclusive and functional for those with physical limitations so that y may participate in sports. A small part of caption re, " emotion contained in this photo seems to me to feel it and to live it, it's strong and heartwarming! Thanks to collaboration of Rossana Sebastiani, Christmas Tonini, Angelo Tonini, Federico Ficini and Manuele Tintori, boys, actually group of friends, as y call mselves of association Sport Tuscany Calciobalilla, flower of our territory, went to Pope for Bringing m a gift, an inclusive soccer table, so designed for needs of disabled people." 

Argentine-born Pope is well-known for his love of soccer and his support for Buenos Aires-based San Lorenzo soccer team. He has long vocated for sports as a means of promoting unity and inclusiveness, particularly among youth.

In 2019, photographs of leer of Catholic State spinning a football on his finger went viral on social media. incident h occurred during Pope's weekly dress at Vatican. He was accompanied this time by a troupe of Cuban circus performers who danced to Salsa music and performed acrobatics.  Pope decided to join in fun and twirl football around his finger in thick of ir shenanigans.

Pope Francis' love for sports

Pope Francis speaks about sports with a fan's excitement and in a dialect that is understandable to a specific audience. He considers sports to be a language, and he is proficient in lingo of various sports, particularly soccer.

Pope h told European Olympic Committee in 2013 that sports' language is worldwide and it transcends borders, languages, races, religions, and ideologies. He furr said that it has power to bring people toger through discourse and acceptance.

(With Inputs from AP, Image: @sarambrosiosindaco/Facebook)