Football
Stephan Uersfeld, Germany correspondent 9y

Bayern Munich meet Pope Francis after Roma Champions League win

Bayern Munich ended their trip to Rome on another high after being granted a private audience by Pope Francis on Wednesday morning and placing one million euros of proceeds from a future charity match at his disposal.

After taking the Stadio Olimpico by storm on Tuesday evening and beating Roma 7-1, the Bayern travelling party set off for the Vatican and entered the inner precincts as the first vehicle of the day.

The Pope -- who supported Argentine club San Lorzenzo as a boy -- praised Bayern for their display against Roma, with the club's official website quoting the head of the global Catholic Church as saying: "You played a wonderful game yesterday," but admitting that he was rather "surprised" by the margin of victory.

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the Pope that the audience was "a great honour for us," and unveiled the "mysterious gift" he had promised to bring to the Vatican.

The Bundesliga champions presented the Pope with a football signed by all their players, "symbolically representing the friendly match to be played in the course of the next year." The club did not announce the opponent, but placed one million euros "at the Pope's disposal for charitable purposes."

"Pope Francis may then himself decide how these funds should be used, to spontaneously help people in need wherever they are in the world and regardless of their faith," the club explained.

Futhermore, captain Philipp Lahm and Manuel Neuer presented the Pope with a framed and signed Bayern shirt bearing the No. 1 and the name "Francis."

"It was inspiring for us all. We're delighted we had the chance to experience this," Philipp Lahm said, while Austria international David Alaba -- a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church -- called the 15-minute audience "one of the greatest experiences of my life."

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