Fiorentina Captain Astori Found Dead Before Match

Astori made his Italy debut in 2011 & played at 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil where he scored against Uruguay

File photo of Davide Astori

(Photo: AP)

Fiorentina captain Davide Astori was found dead in his hotel room on Sunday at the age of 31 after a suspected cardiac arrest before an Italian league match.

The defender, who also played 14 times for Italy's national team, was discovered by Fiorentina staff when he failed to show up for breakfast at the hotel in Udine. Fiorentina's game at Udinese in northeast Italy was called off, along with all fixtures in the country's top two divisions.

Astori's body was taken to the Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital for an autopsy.

“The belief is that the player died of a cardiac arrest by natural causes,” Udine prosecutor Antonio De Nicolo said. “It is strange that such a thing should happen to a professional who is so closely monitored without there being any warning signs.”

Fiorentina said Astori, who had played for the club since 2015, was “hit by a sudden illness.”

Club President Andrea Della Valle said Astori had been due to sign a new contract on Monday and that it would have tied him to the club "for life."

“For this terrible and delicate situation, and above all out of respect for his family, we appeal to the sensitivity of everyone,” the team said in a statement.

Astori leaves behind his wife, Francesca Fioretti, and their 2-year-old daughter.

A woman leaves a Fiorentina scarf outside the Artemio Franchi stadium to honour Astori in Florence on Sunday.(Photo: AP)

In Florence, fans attached scarves, flowers and messages to the gates of the team's stadium, while banners paying tribute to him were put up outside several other stadiums.

There was an outpouring of shocked reaction across the soccer world. The English Football Association said it plans to honour Astori when it hosts Italy at Wembley on March 27 in a friendly.

Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon, a former Italy goalkeeper, posted a picture of himself with Astori on Instagram.

“Ciao dear Asto,” Buffon wrote in Italian before going on to say that he rarely talks publicly about people but was making an exception "because you have a young wife and family who are suffering, but above all your little daughter, deserves to know that her father was in every way a GOOD PERSON. a TRULY GOOD PERSON."

Chelsea coach Antonio Conte, who coached Italy from 2014 to 2016, struggled to hold back the tears as he reacted to the death before a Premier League game at Manchester City. He wore a black armband during the match in tribute.

This is a tragedy. This news really hurt me and it’s very difficult in this moment to find the right words for the family. ... He was a great player, especially a fantastic guy.

Antonio Conte, coached Italy from 2014 to 2016.

Astori made his Italy debut in 2011 and played at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil where he scored against Uruguay.

Italian soccer has more stringent rules and tests than many other countries, with professional athletes in Italy required to undergo certain checks every six months.

“Risk of sudden death goes right down with all the checks but you can't avoid it completely,” said Carlo Tranquilli, a specialist in sports medicine and former doctor for Italy's under-21 team for 18 years.

“In our country we have a lot more checks and there are few like us in the world.”

(Hey there, lady! What makes you laugh? Do you laugh at sexism, patriarchy, and misogyny? Do 'sanskaari' stereotypes crack you up? This Women's Day, join The Quint's Ab Laugh Naari campaign. Pick up that beer, say cheers, and send us photographs or videos of you laughing out loud at [e-mail].)