The Pope remembers Maradona, talks about doping, confides his memories as a football player in goal when he was a child.
He does so in an interview with the 'Gazzetta dello sport' which today is also on newsstands with a book ("Sport according to Francis") with the Pope's words on sport.
Maradona "on the pitch was a poet, a great champion who gave joy to millions of people, in Argentina as well as in Naples. He was also a very fragile man", says the Pope.
On Alex Zanardi: "When I see what I am capable certain athletes, who have some disabilities imprinted on their bodies, I am amazed by the power of life ".
The Pope then returns to condemn doping: "It is not just a scam, it is a shortcut that nullifies dignity.
Talent is a gift received but this is not enough: you have to work on it.
Training, then, will mean taking care of the talent, trying to make it mature to the fullest of his possibilities. "
Finally, Pope Bergoglio confides his childhood memories and talks about the" ball of rags, the pelota de trapo: leather was expensive and we were poor , rubber was not yet so common, but a ball of rags was enough for us to have fun and almost perform miracles by playing in the square near home.
As a child I liked football, but I wasn't among the best, in fact I was what in Argentina they call a 'pata dura', literally hard leg.
That's why they always made me play on goal.
But being a goalkeeper was a great school of life for me.
The goalkeeper must be ready to respond to dangers that can come from anywhere ... ".
