Football remembers Davide Astori

Fiorentina have spoken of their gratitude for the outpouring of support that they have received, a year on since Davide Astori’s passing.

Monday marked a year to the day that Astori died from cardiac arrest on the morning of Fiorentina’s Serie A match against Udinese in March 2018.

A mass in his memory was held at a church in the Tuscan down of San Pellegrino Terme, where over 300 people paid their respects.

Among those present were Fiorentina’s entire personnel, a delegation from Cagliari that included President Tommaso Giuilini and former teammates Daniele Conti and Andrea Cossu, plus ex-colleagues Milan Badelj, Riccardo Saponara and Luca Antonelli.

“The club, board and all of Fiorentina wish to thank the fans, football teams, colleagues, institutions and everyone else who has been close in recent days and, in particular, today, which marks one year since Davide Astori's death,” read a club statement.

“Thoughts, gestures and affection are further testimony to how much the memory of David is always present and everlasting.”

The defender spent six years at Cagliari, leaving in 2014 for Roma on loan, before joining Fiorentina in the summer of 2015.

He made 99 appearances for the Viola, scoring one goal, and only became captain at the beginning of last season.

Astori - who would have turned 32 in January - also represented Italy on 14 occasions, helping them finish third at the 2013 Confederations Cup.