Morning Star international editor ROGER McKENZIE reminisces on how he became an Aston Villa fan, and writes about the evolution of the historic club over the years
FIORENTINA and Cagliari have retired their No 13 shirt in memory of Davide Astori, the Italian clubs announced today.
The 31-year-old was found dead in his hotel room in Udine on Sunday, hours before Fiorentina were due to face Udinese in a Serie A fixture.
All of Sunday’s seven Serie A games were postponed as a result and tributes from across the footballing world poured in for the defender who won 14 caps for Italy.
Fiorentina and Cagliari, Astori’s club between 2008 and 2016, announced today they had retired the number 13 shirt in honour of their former player.
Fiorentina also confirmed they will honour the deal Astori was going to sign and donate the money in full to Astori’s partner Francesca and their two-year-old daughter Vittoria.
News broke on Sunday morning that Astori had died following a “sudden illness” and prosecutors opened a culpable homicide case a day later over his death.