Italy: Religion and Football - European Journal 17.10.2007

The Catholic Church is getting involved in Italian professional football – and along with its investments, it's also insisting on new rules. The church has introduced a tough ethics code at AC Ancona that obliges club, players and fans to engage in fair play. In return, the Vatican is sponsoring the team with 5 million euros. The Pope has already met the players and been given his own jersey. AC Ancona is supposed to serve as a model for other clubs in a country where bribing referees, illegal accounting practices and extreme right fans are all commonplace.