Pope Francis has not watched television since 1990, he told an Argentinian newspaper on Monday.

In an interview reported by the Daily Telegraph, Francis told La Voz del Pueblo that he had decided "it was not for me".

He has not even watched televised matches of his football team, San Lorenzo, relying on his Swiss Guards to tell him whether they win or lose.

In another revelation, he said he only reads one newspaper, the left-of-centre La Repubblica, implying that he prefers it to the official Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.

Asked what he missed most about his old life, he said that he used to enjoy walking out and ordering a pizza. When the newspaper suggested he could have one sent in, he said: "Yes, but it's not the same. The nice thing is to go to there, to the pizzeria.

"I've always been a keen walker. When I was a cardinal [in Buenos Aires] I used to love walking the streets".

He also revealed that he sleeps very well but rises early, going to bed at around 9pm and reading for an hour and getting up at 4am. He has a siesta during the day.