Pope's death results in postponement of Serie A fixtures

At 07.35 CEST, Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 in his residence at Santa Marta. Following his death, Serie A announced the suspension of the four top-flight matches scheduled for Easter Monday, a public holiday in Italy.

The Torino vs Udinese match was set to kick off a day designed to make football the focus of the country, with games running from midday until nearly 11.00 CEST. At 12.30 CEST, Torino and Udinese were to start the marathon, followed by a Cagliari vs Fiorentina, a Genoa vs Lazio, and a Parma vs Juventus clash, the highlight of the day.

Additionally, the league also announced the postponement of a Roma vs Udinese, Monza vs Sassuolo, and Sampdoria vs Torino matches in Primavera 1, a competition consisting of reserve teams. However, to the surprise of many, Serie B was not included in the official statement regarding postponed fixtures.

It seemed that the second division would continue with its original plan despite the Pope's death, and that round 34, fully scheduled for Monday, would proceed as planned. However, Bari, who were set to face Sudtirol in the first match of the day, announced that "the official confirmation of the postponement of the entire round" in Serie B was also expected.