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Pope blesses Serie A champion Inter Milan and reminds them to be responsible ‘heroes’

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Newly crowned Serie A champion Inter Milan received a blessing from Pope Leo XIV on Saturday.

The players, staff and directors had a private audience with Leo at the Vatican before Inter’s match against Lazio in Rome later Saturday.

Inter secured the Italian title last Sunday with a 2-0 victory over visiting Parma with three rounds remaining.

“This is undoubtedly a moment of great joy for you all, and I am delighted to share in it,” Leo said on Saturday.

“While 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.”

Leo reminded the players that many youngsters look to them as their “heroes” and urged them to keep that responsibility in mind.

“I would like to emphasize this, because young people today truly need role models, and what you do has an impact, which can be positive or negative, on the life of the young,” Leo added. “And so, I would really like to leave you with this thought of the great responsibility you bear.”

Inter president Giuseppe Marotta presented Leo with a personalized Inter shirt bearing the number 10 and the name LEONE XIV.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Beijing bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering China because they visited Taiwan

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from traveling to China for a year and demanded they apologize because they visited Taiwan on a parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via parliamentary officials and shown to The Associated Press on Thursday. China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory. Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing. The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
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