The Italian club refuse special permission to play on Saturday and postpone their match against Roma as a tribute to the late pontiff

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Inter Milan refuse to play out of respect for Pope Francis

Inter Milan have decided not to play their match against Roma on Saturday 26 April, the day of Pope Francis' funeral, despite being granted special permission to play. The club's decision is based on a show of respect for the Argentine pontiff, whose farewell has led to the suspension of all sporting activity in Italy on that day.

Although the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), following the instructions of the Council of Ministers, ordered the total cancellation of all sporting competitions scheduled for Saturday, Inter were granted an exception so as not to disrupt their preparations for the important Champions League semi-final against FC Barcelona, scheduled for Tuesday.

However, the board, coaching staff and players of the “Nerazzurri” club finally opted not to play on Saturday, citing reasons of ethics, respect and institutional coherence.

A tight schedule and an unprecedented decision

With this decision, Inter become the first Italian team that, playing on Tuesday in European competition, will postpone their league match to Sunday. The clash against Roma will finally be played on Sunday at 15:00, after an initial attempt to move it to 12:30, the time slot already allocated to the Venice-Milan game for television reasons.

The accumulation of fixtures further complicates the team's schedule. Inter, joint leaders in Serie A with Napoli on 71 points, are also playing in the Coppa Italia, where they face Milan in the second leg of the semi-final on Wednesday. On Sunday they face Roma, with little time to prepare for their European clash.

Rescheduling throughout Serie A

In addition to Inter-Roma, other matches have been affected: Como-Genoa and Lazio-Parma. The latter has required special logistical attention, as it is scheduled to take place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, just 6 kilometres from the Vatican, where more than 200,000 people are expected to attend the Pope's funeral.

Added to this is the Youth Jubilee, which on Sunday will bring another 100,000 faithful to the capital. As a result, Lazio-Parma will be moved to Monday, while Monday's postponed matches will be played on Wednesday at 18:30.

The Lazio club has openly criticised the management of Serie A, pointing to a lack of communication and planning for an event of such magnitude and importance.

A historic farewell

Pope Francis' funeral will take place on Friday 26 April at 10:00 (8:00 GMT) in St Peter's Square. His coffin will be transferred to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, in accordance with the wishes expressed in his will.

The ceremony will be presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, and many heads of state and international leaders are expected to attend, in a global farewell to one of the closest and most reformist popes in recent history.