Football

Davide Astori: Fiorentina players and fans pay respects after sudden death of club captain | London Evening Standard

Fiorentina's squad visited Italy's national training centre in Florence on Wednesday to pay their respects to former captain Davide Astori, who died last weekend.

Davide Astori: Fiorentina players and fans pay respects after sudden death of club captain | London Evening Standard
Davide Astori: Fiorentina players and fans pay respects to former captain

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Fiorentina's squad visited Italy's national training centre in Florence on Wednesday to pay their respects to former captain Davide Astori, who died last weekend.

The 31-year-old Astori was found dead in his hotel room on Sunday after a suspected cardiac arrest before Fiorentina was set to play a Serie A match at Udinese in north-east Italy.

Astori's body was brought back Wednesday to Florence and taken to the football centre on the outskirts of the city. His funeral takes place Thursday at the Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence, Fiorentina's home city.

The bus carrying the Fiorentina squad was greeted with applause before silence fell as players walked off and into the centre's gym to see Astori's body.

Fans queue to pay tribute to AstoriAFP/Getty Images

Astori's Fiorentina and Italy shirts were laid next to the closed coffin, along with wreaths from Fiorentina, the Italian football federation and other football clubs.

Hundreds queued to pay their respects before the doors were opened at 4:30pm local time for a six-hour period.

Other footballers to visit included Roma captain Daniele De Rossi and a delegation from Torino formed of Andrea Belotti, Lorenzo De Silvestri and Adem Ljajic.

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Additional reporting by the Associated Press.