Pope Francis praised Manchester City Manager, Pep Guardiola for kissing his second place medal after losing the Champions League final.
He mentioned the gesture during an audience with a delegation of the Italian Basketball Federation.
'Before you is the world of Italian basketball.'
The Pope was discussing how to come to terms with defeat, and recalled that someone told him about the gesture, but that he couldn't remember who it was about.
He said that sport is a reflection of life, and asked those present to promote the values which sport teaches.
POPE FRANCIS
“Promote healthy play among children and young people, to help young people to look upwards, to never give up, to discover that though life is a journey of defeats and victories, the important thing is not to lose the desire to 'play the game.'”
The delegation of the Italian Basketball Federation met with the Pope to mark 100 years since its founding.
Javier Romero