Investigation opened into Astori death in Italy

AN AUTOPSY into the death of Fiorentina captain Davide Astori was carried out yesterday while his funeral will be held in Florence two days later, the Italian football club announced. Italy was in shock following the sudden death on Sunday of the 31-yearold defender who played for his country 14 times.

“Fiorentina and Davide’s family would like to inform you that the autopsy will be performed tomorrow… The funeral will take place on Thursday in the Santa Croce basilica,” the Serie A club said on its Twitter account.

A judicial inquiry had been launched following the death of the player, who was found dead in his hotel room in Udine, where his team was due to play Udinese on Sunday.

“We have opened a manslaughter investigation, against X for the moment,” Antonio de Nicolo, a magistrate in the northeastern city of Udine, told Rai radio yesterday, adding that such a procedure was “mandatory”.

De Nicolo was quoted Sunday as saying Astori died of “natural causes” after a “cardiac circulatory collapse” – a type of heart attack.

Meanwhile Fiorentina have called for respect and silence after it was erroneously reported they had extended Astori’s contract with them. Giovanni Malago who is president of the Italian Olympic Committee, which oversees Italian top flight and international football, “spoke too soon,” a source very close to those concerned told AFP.

All seven matches in Italy’s top flight on Sunday were postponed following the news of Astori’s death. – AFP