Over these days, more than forty Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic priests from Romania will be running after the ball and the highest step of the podium in the National five-a-side Football Championship for Catholic priests in Iasi, in the north-east of the country, from 29th to 31st August. This is the seventh Championship and brings together eight teams from as many dioceses and eparchies of the Catholic Church of Romania. The Championship started in the evening of 29th August with a Mass officiated in the chapel of the Great Diocesan Seminary of Iaşi by mgr. Iosif Păuleţ, bishop of the diocese of Iaşi. In his sermon, the bishop encouraged the priest players “to experience competition as an opportunity to get to know each other and as an example of fair play”, as reported by the diocese in a release. The matches started this morning, and the kick-off was given by the bishop himself. In the evening, the participants can visit a number of cultural and religious destinations around the city of Iaşi. The semi-finals and finals of the Championship will take place on Thursday, 31st August, and the awards ceremony will follow in the afternoon. The winning team will represent Romania at the European five-a-side European Football Championship, due to take place in Shkoder, Albania, in February 2024. Romania hosted this year’s Championship in Timişoara from 13th to 17th February. The National five-a-side Football Championship for Catholic priests is organised by the Romanian Sports Club association in partnership with host dioceses and local authorities.