Fiorentina lined up for their first game since the tragic passing of club captain Davide Astori after the Italian international was found dead in his hotel room last weekend.
Fiorentina defeated Benevento 1-0 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi with a Vitor Hugo goal separating the two sides but football was a mere backdrop to the club’s tribute to Astori.
💜 "Ciao Davide" 💜
Emotional scenes at the Stadio Artemio Franchi as Fiorentina pay tribute to Davide Astori. pic.twitter.com/YlF89x017t
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 11, 2018
Both sets of players from Benevento and Fiorentina gathered before kick-off to link arms as a sign of solidarity and respect to Astori as supporters stayed almost completely silent for five minutes in a respectful and moving tribute.
Meanwhile the game was also stopped in the 13th minute for another mark of respect to the club’s captain.
Astori turned 31 in January and became a father less than two weeks before his death.
According to Udine Today, the player failed to wake up when he was at the La di Moret hotel in Udine, where he was awaiting La Viola’s match with Udinese.
He had 14 caps in Italy’s senior team, scoring one goal.
