On Sunday, December 1, the match between Fiorentina and Inter was interrupted and abandoned in the 17th minute when Italian midfielder Edoardo Bove collapsed on the pitch. The 22-year-old was stretchered off the pitch and placed in an ambulance in the corner before leaving the Stadio Artemio Franchi and being taken to Careggi Hospital in Florence.
Later, after the match, when both teams had already left the stadium, Fiorentina issued the first official statement on Bove’s health, stating that the player was “treated on the pitch after losing consciousness during the Fiorentina-Inter match.” “and was in intensive care. “The violalist arrived at the emergency room in stable hemodynamic conditions and the initial cardiological and neurological tests ruled out acute damage to the central nervous system and the cardiorespiratory system.”
On Monday, Fiorentina issued a second statement announcing that “Edoardo Bove, after an uneventful night, was awakened and extubated this morning. He is currently awake, alert and oriented.”
“He has spoken to his family, the club management, the coach and his teammates, who rushed to see him as soon as they heard the good news. More tests will be carried out in the coming days to determine what caused the death.” critical situation that occurred yesterday. The club would also like to thank the entire Fiorentina family and the entire football world who, during this difficult time, have shown great sympathy and affection through their messages and support, which have been of great comfort to both the club and the fans. Edoardo and his family.”
What exactly happened in the 17th minute?
Moments before the collapse, Inter striker Lautaro Martínez appeared to score the first goal of the game, but it was disallowed and all eyes at that moment were on the referee who made his decision after Inter full-back Denzel Dumfries had failed to score. keep the ball in play. While all the attention was there, Bove was seen on his knees, adjusting his shoes, and when he got back up he collapsed after a few steps. His fall immediately caught the attention of Dumfries, who was the first to call for help, followed by the entire Inter bench, who were in front of the Fiorentina player when it happened. Inter coach Simone Inzaghi ran onto the pitch with his coaching staff and was immediately followed by the Fiorentina bench and the medical staff. The two teams, as is customary when a serious medical incident occurs, created a circle around the player, to prevent the cameras from intruding during the distressing situation and showing what was happening.
From that moment on, chaos and uncertainty surrounded Bove’s health conditions. Players like Inter’s Federico Dimarco and Fiorentina’s Robin Gosens urged the ambulance to get to the field faster, not knowing that the protocol has become much more efficient in recent years and that medical assistance had everything necessary to help Bove on the ground, while the Only ambulance was needed to take him to the hospital, not to provide medical assistance on the scene. During the night from Sunday to Monday, many wanted to visit Bove in the hospital, starting with his family and Fiorentina sporting director Daniele Prade, who was later joined by coach Raffaele Palladino and the team, it is widely reported. .
Who is Edoardo Bové?
The 22-year-old plays as a left winger for Fiorentina on loan from Roma. Bove, a promising prospect with the Italian national team, has been a regular with the under-21 team, making six appearances this season. He has appeared in 14 games for Fiorentina, registering one goal and three assists in all competitions this season. Bove, who has become a regular starter for the team, has been an important part of the Viola’s good run of form, which has seen them move into the top four of Serie A as things stand.
When will play resume?
Taking into account both teams’ schedules and the increasing number of matches throughout the season, Fiorentina and Inter are likely to resume play in February, but that will also depend on both teams’ European campaigns, with Inter playing in the Champions League and Fiorentina in the Champions League. Conference League. When it resumes, the match will begin from the 17th minute. The Italian Serie A will determine the exact day of the match in the coming days.
What will happen next with Bove?
It is still unclear what will happen in the future with the Italian player, who is undergoing all the necessary tests to understand the causes of his collapse on the pitch. In recent years, there have been some similar cases in Italy that have led to different results, even when the players are declared healthy. Last season, AS Roma defender Evan Ndicka collapsed on the pitch during an away match against Udinese, but after a series of negative heart tests, the player resumed his football career without consequences.
Famously, in June 2021, the former Inter midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed during Denmark’s opening UEFA Euro 2020 match against Finland and the player was forced to install an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) device, a type of pacemaker that prevents fatal cardiac arrests by “delivering a shock to restore normal heart rhythm “. The Italian FA does not allow players to play with the ICD device in the Italian league and for this reason, Eriksen was forced to part ways with Inter before returning in 2022 when he joined Brentford.
It’s too early to say what Bove’s prognosis will be, but depending on his medical condition, his future in Serie A is certainly an open question.
