Fiorentina’s injured Edoardo Bove is surrounded by players during the Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Inter at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy, Sunday, December 1, 2024 (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)
FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove is in an induced coma after collapsing on the pitch during his team’s Serie A home game against Inter Milan on Sunday. The game was canceled shortly afterwards.
Bove’s teammates immediately called for medical help and both groups of players surrounded the 22-year-old as he received treatment before he was quickly rushed to an ambulance near the pitch and taken to Careggi Hospital in Florence.
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“Fiorentina and the Careggi University Hospital announce that the football player Edoardo Bove… is currently under pharmacological sedation and hospitalized in the intensive care unit,” Fiorentina said in a statement. “The first cardiological and neurological tests carried out have ruled out acute damage to the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system. Edoardo Bove will be reassessed in the next 24 hours.”
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Sky Italia reported that the player regained consciousness in the ambulance and managed to breathe on his own.
Bove’s parents and his girlfriend have arrived at the hospital along with Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino and most of his teammates, as well as club directors and the city’s mayor.
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Fiorentina fans also gathered outside the hospital and displayed a banner that read: “Forza Edoardo, Florence is with you.”
Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso echoed that sentiment and the club said he and his family were in constant contact from the US to support Bove and his family.
“Forza Edoardo, we are on your side,” Commisso said. “You are a strong boy with a great character.”
More messages of support from players and clubs poured in on social media. Inter midfielder Federico Dimarco, who was on the field at the time, wrote: “Forza Edo, we are all with you and your family.”
The incident occurred in the 16th minute of the game when the game was stopped following a VAR review. Bove apparently bent down to tie the laces on his boot before he suddenly fell to the ground.
Fiorentina players were distraught on the pitch and were comforted by both staff and Inter players. Several openly sobbed before the teams left the field.
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The Italian league game was immediately interrupted and then abandoned. At the time of Bove’s collapse it was 0-0.
Many at Fiorentina – and fans too – remember former captain Davide Astori, who was found dead in his hotel room before a game in Udine in March 2018.
It is the second incident this year in which a player collapses during a Serie A match. This happened to Roma defender Evan Ndicka during his team’s game at Udinese in April.
Bove comes from Roma’s youth academy and joined Fiorentina on loan in the off-season with the option to make the move permanent.
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Romelu Lukaku, who spent last season at Roma with Bove, posted a photo of the pair during a game and added the caption: “I love you little brother. We are all with you.”