Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove collapsed on the pitch during the Serie A match at home to Inter Milan, with the game abandoned shortly afterwards.
Bove’s team-mates immediately called for medical help and surrounded the 22-year-old while he was being treated, before he was swiftly stretchered off to an ambulance near the pitch.
Fiorentina players were distraught on the field and were comforted by staff members as well as Inter players. Several were openly sobbing before both sets of players filed off the field.
Play was down the other end when Bove dropped to the ground in the 16th minute and the match was immediately halted by referee Daniel Doveri, before being abandoned. The score at the time of Bove’s collapse was 0-0.
Sky Italy reported that Bove had been transported to the Careggi University Hospital in Florence.
A Fiorentina club statement on Sunday evening read: “ACF Fiorentina and the Careggi University Hospital have announced that footballer Edoardo Bove, who was treated on the pitch following a loss of consciousness during the Fiorentina v Inter match, is currently under sedation and is hospitalised in intensive care.
“The Viola player arrived at the emergency department in stable haemodynamic conditions and initial cardiological and neurological tests have ruled out acute damage to the central nervous system and the cardio-respiratory system. Bove will be re-evaluated in the next 24 hrs.”
Fiorentina also said club president Rocco Commisso was “in constant contact with Florence from the United States to support Edoardo and his family”, with Commisso saying: “Forza Edoardo, we’re with you. You’re a strong boy with a great character. We’re reaching out to the boy’s family during these moments.”
Inter President and CEO Sport, Giuseppe Marotta, said: “From Inter and the entire football world, we want to express how close we are to the player’s family and Fiorentina.
“The postponement was a spontaneous decision from all the parties involved: we are a community, and when something like this happens, I believe it’s normal to make this kind of decision while hoping that the situation is not too serious.
“I want to underline the support of Inter, the management, the staff, the team and the entire football world for this young man, who is only 22 years old. We hope he can recover quickly and in the best way possible.”
A post from Serie A on X read: “Forza Edoardo. We’re all with you.”
Bove, a product of Roma’s youth system, joined Fiorentina from the Giallorossi in August on a season-long loan with an option to buy.
It is the second incident this year of a player collapsing during a Serie A match. It happened to Roma defender Evan Ndicka during his team’s match at Udinese in April.
