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.”
An earlier 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.
