Fiorentina captain, Italy star Astori dies aged 31

Matt Stead

Fiorentina have announced that club captain and Italy international Davide Astori has died aged 31.

The centre-half is reported to have passed away in his sleep at the La di Moret hotel in Udine, with Fiorentina scheduled to play Udinese on Sunday.

That game has now been cancelled, along with the remaining Serie A fixtures this weekend.

Fiorentina confirmed the terrible news through an official statement.

‘Fiorentina are profoundly shaken and forced to announce that their captain Davide Astori has died,’ it read.

‘For this terrible and delicate situation, and above all out of respect for his family, we appeal to the sensitivity of the media.’

Astori turned 31 in January. He was capped 14 times by Italy, with his last appearance coming in 2017.

Fiorentina said he had suffered from a ‘sudden illness’.