Italian football struggles to come to terms with Davide Astori tragedy

Flags flew at half-mast in Italy yesterday: At the Italian football federation in Rome, and at other buildings and grounds, including the national coaching centre in Florence that overlooks the stadium where Davide Astori used to play. Professional football in Italy came to a halt on Sunday and teams will be wearing black armbands this week.

The sudden death of the Fiorentina captain on Sunday morning did not quite stop the country in its tracks. But as Italy voted, at the end of the most bitterly fought election campaign for years, Astori’s tragic and mysterious fate at least brought the football community together, clubs, players, and supporters alike.

The initial reaction was just a sense of numbing shock, and grief for Astori’s partner Francesca Fioretti and their two-year old daughter Vittoria.