Fiorentina’s captain and Italian international, Davide Astori has passed away at the age of 31.
Astori who passed away in his sleep overnight on Saturday evening in Udine, had 14 international caps with Italy and was a member of the squad.
Report has it that Astori was found dead in his hotel room.
According to a club statement, “Fiorentina are profoundly shaken and forced to announce that their captain Davide Astori has died.
“For this terrible and delicate situation, and above all out of respect for his family, we appeal to the sensitivity of the media.”
It is believed Astori died of “cardio-circulatory arrest due to natural causes” – a type of heart attack – but that he showed “no warning signs” of having any illness, said Udine prosecutor Antonio De Nicolo.
Club spokesman Arturo Mastronardi said: “The lad did not turn up to the team breakfast at 9.30am and he was usually the first to arrive.
“So they went to check on him. Davide was sleeping in a room on his own. The body has been taken for an autopsy, which I think will be conducted today.”
Astori, who played as a central defender, was born 7 January 1987 in San Giovanni Bianco, the province of Bergamo in Italy.
After playing youth football for Pontisola, he started his senior career with Milan, spending loan spells with Pizzighettone and Cremonese.
In 2008 Cagliari signed him in a co-ownership deal, before signing him fully from Milan, for whom he never made a first team appearance, in 2011. He later spent loan spells at Roma and Fiorentina.
He made his international debut for Italy in 2011 and represented his country at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, scoring a goal in Italy’s victorious bronze-medal match.
He leaves behind long-term girlfriend Francesca Fioretti and their two-year-old daughter Vittoria
