Player collapses during Fiorentina-Inter Milan match, game postponed

The Serie A match between Fiorentina and Inter Milan was halted on Sunday after Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove collapsed on the pitch, as confirmed by Serie A to AFP.

Bove, 22, fell suddenly with 16 minutes played, and players, as well as fans, watched in shock as he was quickly transported to Careggi hospital in Florence by ambulance.

Serie A announced that the match, which was scoreless at the time, would be rescheduled at a later date, though no specific time has been set.

Fiorentina later provided an update, stating that Bove was in a stable condition upon arrival at the hospital’s intensive care unit, where he was placed under sedation.

“Initial cardiological and neurological tests have ruled out severe damage to his central nervous and the cardio-respiratory systems,” said Fiorentina in a joint statement with the hospital.

“Edoardo Bove will be re-evaluated in the next 24 hours.”

The emotional scene unfolded as players and officials were seen openly weeping after witnessing Bove collapse, evoking memories of the tragic passing of former captain Davide Astori in 2018.

Fiorentina had previously endured heartbreak when Astori, aged 31, died suddenly in his sleep at a hotel before a match against Udinese.

In a similar incident in April, Roma’s match at Udinese was suspended after defender Evan Ndicka collapsed on the pitch, with initial fears of a heart attack. However, Roma later clarified that Ndicka, then 24, had suffered a collapsed lung, and no cardiac issues were found.

On Sunday, Fiorentina entered the match level on 28 points with Inter Milan, four points behind league leaders Napoli, who had secured a 1-0 victory over Torino earlier in the day.