Pope calls Fenerbahçe captain for charity match

ISTANBUL

The match, tagged the 'Inter-religious Match for Peace,' will take place in Rome’s main stadium on Sept 1.

Pope Francis has reportedly invited Fenerbahçe captain Emre Belözoğlu for a charity match in Rome on Sept. 1, Turkish media reported Aug. 15.

Pope Francis personally spoke with Belözoğlu over the phone and the 33-year-old midfielder immediately accepted the offer, according to daily Habertürk.

Among the top players, active and retired, scheduled to participate are Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Baggio, Samuel Eto’o and Yossi Benayoun.

The match, tagged the “Inter-religious Match for Peace,” will take place in Rome’s main stadium.

Javier Zanetti, who retired in May, had suggested organizing “a sporting event uniting people of different religions’’ when he met the Pope last year.