San Lorenzo’s assumed fans, Pope Francis had as its idol in football striker René Penoni, one of the great names in the history of the club of Buenos Aires and who also played in Brazilian football.
After becoming Argentine champion in 1946 and three-time South American champion with the Argentine team in the 1940s, Pontoi landed in São Paulo in 1952 to defend the Portuguese in the one who is still considered the best team of all time of the club, along with names such as Djalma Santos, Brandãozinho and Julinho Botelho.
He had recovered from a serious right knee injury and was hired by Lusa at the invitation of Argentine coach Jim López.
That year, he became champion of the Rio-Sao Paulo Tournament, without the same performance demonstrated in San Lorenzo times, but showing technical quality in the field, with precise passes to his companions.
He stayed at the club until the beginning of the following year, when he lost space with the arrival of coach Aymoré Moreira and decided to return to Argentina. In all, he played 17 official games and scored five goals.
In an interview with UOL in 2021, Estani told about his grandfather’s passage through Brazilian football.
“Anyone who met my grandfather knew that he used football to make friends and travel the world. It was what they call ‘free spirit’ today, always with a lot of people around, many friends, even the opponents. From São Paulo, I remember when he said that the team (Portuguese) was very good and that the city was very hot,” he said at the time.
In addition to Lusa and San Lorenzo, René Estani also defended the colors of Newell´s Old Boys of Argentina, Independiente Santa Fé and Deportes Quindío, both from Colombia. He died in 1983 at the age of 62 in Santa Fe (arg).
Para Francisco’s relationship with the striker and San Lorenzo began in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires, where Jorge Mario Bergoglio grew up and where the club’s current headquarters is. Bergoglio’s father, Mario Giuseppe, was Italian and played basketball at the club. During this period, the son accompanies him even to the team’s games at the stadium.
In a letter to San Lorenzo in 2013, after starting his pontificate as Pope, Bergoglio said he had watched all the team games in the 1946 Argentine title campaign when he was 10 years old.
This Monday (21), after the announcement of the Pope’s death, at the age of 88, the club issued a note on social networks extolling his fans throughout his life.
“It has never been one more and has always been one of ours. Cuervo since childhood and man. I enjoyed as a priest and cardinal. Also I enjoyed as Pope. He always transmitted his passion for Ciclón: when he went to the old gaming to see the team of 46, when he confirmed Angelito Correa in the CT chapel, when he received the blue and grená visits in Vatican always with total happiness …
