Cardiac arrest killed Astori

ITALIAN footballer Davide Astori likely died from a cardiac arrest linked to the slowing of his heart rate, Italian media reported on Tuesday following the initial results of his autopsy.

His club Fiorentina also announced they will retire Astori’s number 13 shirt in honour of the 31-year-old Italy international, who was found dead in his hotel room on Sunday ahead of a Serie A match at Udinese.

Doctors who carried out the player’s autopsy referred to a “cardiac arrest without a visible explanation, in all likelihood due to a bradyarrhythmia (slow heart rate)”, Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport reported.

“We won’t have the definitive diagnosis for two months, (then) we will be able to say with certainty that there was no detectable cause or any other element of any type,” Udine prosecutor Antonio de Nicolo said.

De Nicolo was quoted Sunday as saying Astori died of “natural causes” after a “cardiac circulatory collapse” – a type of heart attack, which the autopsy appears to confirm.

Fiorentina players and staff paid tribute on Tuesday to their captain Astori at the club’s Artemio Franchi stadium, where dozens of messages, banners and scarfs adorned fences outside the ground.

Astori’s funeral will be held at the Santa Croce basilica today (local time).

Picture: FOTOGRAMMA / MEGA SAD LOSS: Italian national team player and Fiorentina captain Davide Astori, was found dead in the Hotel La di Moret in Udine, where he was with the team before a game.