Rome, 9 May (LaPresse) – “Welcome and congratulations to the whole team, the directors, the coaching staff and the many fans and supporters on this achievement.” So said Pope Leo XIV, who today received the directors and players of Inter, fresh from winning the Scudetto. “This is certainly, for all of you, a moment of great joy, in which I am happy to share. It is a goal achieved thanks to great commitment, teamwork, discipline and perseverance, which you have managed to maintain both in the exhilarating moments – such as the last match, when you were already celebrating! – and also in the difficult ones, without becoming discouraged or giving up. For this reason, whilst I congratulate you, I invite you to reflect on the experience you have had, so that, in this moment of success, you may become bearers of a message that is particularly useful for the growth of young people. Many of them, at this time, look to you as their ‘heroes’, as role models to be emulated, and this invests you with a responsibility that goes beyond performance and calls upon you, as sportsmen, to be witnesses to values. “I would really like to emphasise this, because young people today truly need role models, and what you do has an impact that can be positive or negative on their lives. And so, to reflect on this great responsibility you bear is something I would truly like to leave you with,” added the Holy Father, who then recalled how Saint John Paul II, some thirty-five years ago, “spoke of this during a meeting held precisely with some representatives of your club. After recalling its significant role in the history of Italian football, he added, addressing the players and managers: ‘Ensure that many may recognise in you and in your conduct authenticity and integrity that stand the test of time.’ These are words that I too would like to repeat to you, whilst renewing my congratulations.”