“Personally I don’t think that the Pope will watch the match,” Father Federico Lombardi told dpa.

The 85-year-old pontiff will look to get a good night’s rest before a presiding Friday over the Feast of St Peter and St Paul - a traditional ceremony during which he will hand over scarfs to more than 40 bishops nominated over the last year.

But the football match, Lombardi said, is being “eagerly awaited” in the Vatican’s papal apartments where Benedict resides with his close aides, most of whom are Italians.

One of the pontiff’s personal secretaries, German-born Monsignor Georg Gaenswein will support Germany, according to Lombardi.

“Everyone else will root for Italy, including the pontiff’s other personal secretary, Monsignor Alfred Xuereb, who is Maltese,” Lombardi said.