ROME Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove is awake and alert in hospital, his club said on Monday, providing reassurance on his condition after he collapsed during a Serie A match against Inter Milan on Sunday.

Fiorentina said that the 22-year-old had spent a peaceful night in the Careggi University Hospital in Florence and no longer required assistance with his breathing. Further tests would be conducted in the coming days in order to establish the cause of his illness.

Bove has spoken to team mates on a video call and the squad was now preparing for a match on Wednesday night when they face Empoli at home in the last 16 of the Italian Cup, the club added.

“He has spoken with his family, club management, the coach and his team-mates, who all rushed to go and see him as soon as they heard the good news,” said Fiorentina.

“Further tests will be carried out in the coming days to establish what led to the critical situation that took place yesterday.”

Fiorentina owner Rocco Commisso has been in contact with the player’s father and further reassured about his condition.

Bove had suddenly collapsed in the 17th minute of the game in Florence, , which was goalless, seconds after bending down to adjust his boot during a break in play for a VAR check.

Bove’s fall reminded fans of tragic former captain Davide Astori, who in March 2018 died suddenly in his sleep aged 31 in a hotel before a league match at Udinese.

Worried supporters stayed in their seats at the Stadio Artemio Franchi long after the match had been stopped in the hope of positive news after having watched players from both sides and officials sob in shock.

Medical personnel rushed onto the pitch, with the Fiorentina players forming a ring around Bove, who arrived at the club on loan from AS Roma in August.

After Bove was taken away in an ambulance, the referee asked the visibly shaken and emotional players to leave the pitch and return to the dressing room. The match will be replayed at a later date.

Initial tests carried out on Sunday evening ruled out any serious damage to his central nervous and the cardio-respiratory systems.

Bove has made several appearances for Italy’s Under-21 team and has recorded four assists and one goal in his 14 appearances for Fiorentina this season.

MCTOMINAY KEEPS NAPOLI TOP

Elsewhere on Sunday, a first-half goal by Scott McTominay earned leaders Napoli a 1-0 win at Torino to keep them clear at the top of the standings with 32 points, four clear of Atalanta, Inter, Fiorentina and Lazio.

The Scotland midfielder found the net around the half-hour mark when he struck a shot powerfully inside the near post after receiving a precise pass from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

McTominay’s winner was his third Serie A goal since signing for Napoli in the summer and the Scotland midfielder is playing a key role in his new team’s bid for a fourth Italian league title.

Napoli would have left Turin with a heftier goal haul had Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic not pulled off a series of top class saves.

Lazio lost ground after a frustrating 3-1 defeat at Parma which was inflicted by an early Dennis Man finish, Anas Haj Mohamed’s first Serie A goal and a stoppage-time strike from Enrico Del Prato after Valentin Castellanos had halved the deficit for the away side.

Defeat at the Stadio Ennio Tar­dini snapped a five-match league winning streak and left Marco Baroni’s Lazio fifth, two points ahead of Juventus who were stun­ned late to draw 1-1 at lowly Lecce.

Ante Rebic poked home Lecce’s leveller in the third minute of stoppage time to snatch a deserved draw from a frantic, largely low-quality clash in southern Italy and move his team two points above the relegation zone in 16th.

Andrea Cambiaso looked to have won the points for unbeaten Juve with his speculative shot in the 68th minute, which was wildly deflected off Kialonda Gaspar and past Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone.

Missing nine players through inj­ury, Juve again failed to impress after recent goalless draws at AC Milan and Aston Villa, although Khephren Thuram and Francisco Conceicao both hit the post early on, with Thuram somehow striking the woodwork from the middle of an open goal in the fifth minute.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2024