Fiorentina Defender Davide Astori Passes Away2 min read

It is always a sad day in the world of football when a player passes away; clubs and fans alike come in unison to share their condolences and pay their tributes.

31-year-old ACF Fiorentina defender and Captain Davide Astori died in his sleep on Sunday in Udine at a hotel his side were staying at before their game against Udinese Calcio.

After the discovery of his passing, all games were postponed over the weekend in Italy to mourn the death of the defender.

Many came forward to pay respects from both club level and government personnel including players from Astori’s former clubs AC Milan, Cremonense, Cagliari and Roma.

But the most notable tribute came from Italy’s former captain and Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon, who wrote a heartfelt message on his Instagram following the news.

He started by saying how he wouldn’t normally express his opinions on a person, but had to for the sake of the relationship Buffon had with Astori.

“In your case, I feel the need to make an exception to the rule, because you have a young wife and family who are suffering, but above all a little girl, who deserves to know that her father was in every way A GOOD PERSON… a TRULY GOOD PERSON…”

The Fiorentina captain leaves behind his wife and a two-year-old daughter.

In his last ever season for the Violas, Astori had some impressive numbers holding the defensive line.

In 25 league appearances, the Captain averaged an 87% passing accuracy average with a total of 1,110 successful passes made.

His defensive statistics showed that he made 131 clearances, 51 interceptions and 17 blocks this season in the Serie A.

As a show of honour and respect, both Fiorentina and Cagliari have retired the no.13 shirt – the number Astori wore while player.

In addition, the former club have agreed to pay Astori’s contract ‘for life’ to support his family.

Udine’s chief prosecutor Antonio de Nicolo has opened a homicide inquiry for Astori’s case to see if there were any other circumstances for his death.

The world of football will always remember the young Italian.

Source of Image – @acffiorentina (Twitter)