Pictured
RIP Davide
Davide Astori funeral held as mourners turn sky purple in packed square outside service after Fiorentina captain’s death aged 31
DEVASTATED Fiorentina fans turned the sky purple and held high the club's colours as Davide Astori's coffin left his funeral – followed by team-mates, his grieving girlfriend and the biggest names in Italian football.
Teary mourners arrived at the Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence to say goodbye and chant "grande capitano" in honour of their club skipper and Italy international, who died aged 31 on Sunday.
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DAVIDE ASTORI - WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR:
- Astori travelled with Fiorentina squad on Saturday ahead of Serie A clash with Udinese
- When club captain did not arrive at team breakfast at 9.30am, team-mates broke down hotel room door to find Astori dead
- Astori died of natural causes, aged 31, in his sleep - with no warning signs
- He leaves behind long-term girlfriend Francesca Fioretti and their two-year-old daughter Vittoria
- Pictures showed Genoa players distraught as they were told news ahead of Serie A's 12.30 kick-off on Sunday
- Serie A subsequently announced all league fixtures on Sunday were postponed
- Italian football legends Francesco Totti and Gianluigi Buffon lead emotional tributes
- Both Fiorentina and former club Cagliari retired their No13 shirts in Astori's honour
- Astori was set to sign a new four-year contract with Fiorentina on Monday.
The coffin was taken away from the service to an atmospheric display of unity from Fiorentina fans, as they lit violet flares that filled the Piazza with purple smoke, waving banners, while some fans wept at the moving scene.
Pallbearers stood at the top of the steps with Astori's casket for mourners to chant and express their sorrow in the most dramatic of occasions, while some of the greatest footballers of all time fought back tears over the late defender.
The likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini and Francesco Totti could be seen trying to contain their emotions as they arrived.
His girlfriend Francesca Fioretti and two-year-old daughter Vittoria also arrived while the Fiorentina squad arrived on foot led by midfielder Milan Badelj.
Italian fans sing farewell to their captain Davide Astori in emotional tribute at funeral
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The Croatia international read out a message on behalf of the club during the service, which was broadcast to the crowd outside.
Badelj said: "You are the brother or the son that everyone would have wanted to have.
"Your parents didn't make any mistake with you, not even the tiniest bit.
"You're not like others, you are football, the real one, the pure one of children.
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"Our thoughts go out to your mother and your father, to your brothers, to Francesca and to Princess Vicky.
"You were a man with a capital M and we will tell her. You are the light for all of us."
The service lasted about two hours.
As soon as the coffin was brought back out, the people in the square again raised their scarves, sang the Fiorentina anthem and chanted Astori's name as well as "c'e solo un capitano," which means "there's only one captain."
Astori's mother blew a kiss to the crowd, while the people of Florence were also thanked by his brother Marco in his eulogy.
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One fan finds the moving scene all too much as he weeps into his hand
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Tottenham and Juventus fans hold minute silence at Wembley for Davide Astori
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His coffin was adorned with an arrangement of lilies, while ballboys and youth players from the football club clapped the captain into the church and then held hands as he was taken away.
Fans draped flags and banners from windows overlooking the Basilica in the picturesque Tuscan city as some supporters held their heads in their hands.
FOOTBALL TRAGEDY Fiorentina captain and Italy star Davide Astori dies in his sleep aged 31
The service took place at the 13th century Basilica di Santa Croce, the same church where Michelangelo and Galileo are buried – and a fitting mark of respect for the popular player who represented his country 14 times.
The Piazza is usually a space where the traditional Tuscan sport of Florentine football is played – a bruising, violent mix of football and street fighting.
But the mood was much more sombre but passionate in grief as Italy's favourite game pulled out all the stops for tragic Astori, who joined the Viola in 2016.
Who was Davide Astori?
Davide Astori was born in Bergamo and played for local team Pontisola before joining AC Milan in 2006.
Two years later he moved to Cagliari – the club where he would make his name.
The centre-back would go on to make 174 appearances in Sardinia, and earn his first Italy cap against Ukraine in 2011.
A year later, out of loyalty to Cagliari, he turned down a bumper £12m move to Spartak Moscow.
Around the same time, he was scouted as a long-term replacement for Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic by then-Manchester United boss David Moyes.
In 2014, Astori agreed a season-long loan to Roma for £1.8m and the Giallorossi paid a further £4.5m to make the deal permanent.
But a day before the transfer was set to go through, he instead agreed a new contract with Cagliari.
A loan to current club Fiorentina was then agreed with an obligation to buy.
Astori went on to make 78 appearances for the club before his untimely death in March, 2018.
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Last night Giorgio Chiellini paid emotional tribute to Astori after Juventus' 4-3 aggregate Champions League win over Tottenham.
The Juventus captain said: "I cried many times.
"It was very difficult during the match because we have to think about our opponents, but he is always in our hearts.
"Tomorrow we go to give the last goodbye with our team-mates."
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United in grief was former Fiorentina forward and club legend Gabriel Batistuta, who compared Astori to World Cup-winning club and international legend Giancarlo Antognoni.
The Argentina international said: "Fiorentina did well to entrust the armband to Davide because he was a real man first and foremost.
"I always thought the purple story had only one captain, my brother Giancarlo Antognoni.
"From now on we will have two. Forever."
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