ROME: An autopsy into the death of Fiorentina captain Davide Astori will be carried out on Tuesday while his funeral will be held in Florence two days later, the Italian football club announced.
Italy was in shock following the sudden death on Sunday of the 31-year-old defender who played for his country 14 times.
“Fiorentina and Davide’s family inform you that the autopsy will be performed tomorrow... The funeral will take place on Thursday in the Santa Croce basilica,” the Serie A club said Monday on its Twitter account.
A judicial inquiry had been launched following the death of the player, who was found dead in his hotel room in Udine, where his team was due to play Udinese on Sunday.
“We have opened a manslaughter investigation, against X for the moment,” Antonio de Nicolo, a magistrate in the northeastern city of Udine, told Rai radio on Monday, adding that such a procedure was “mandatory.”
De Nicolo was quoted Sunday as saying Astori died of “natural causes” after a “cardiac circulatory collapse” — a type of heart attack.
All seven matches in Italy’s top flight on Sunday were postponed following the news of Astori’s death.
Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence, said the city would observe a day of mourning for the player’s funeral.
Former national team coach Antonio Conte and World Cup winner Gianluigi Buffon paid emotional tributes to Astori, describing their Italian compatriot as “fantastic” and “a great guy.”
Chelsea manager Conte, who coached the defender when his was in charge of Italy, said the player’s death was a “tragedy.”
“This is a tragedy and it really hurts me. It’s very difficult at this moment to find the right words for the family,” Conte told Sky Sports on Sunday ahead of his side’s 1-0 loss to Manchester City.
Veteran Buffon, the Juventus captain, called Astori “a great man.”
Buffon, who wrote in a post on Instagram accompanied by a photo of the two players exchanging pennants before a game between their clubs, said he did not usually make a habit of expressing his feelings about others.
“I want to make an exception to my rule because you have a young wife and others close to you who are suffering, but mostly because your little girl deserves to know that her dad was a good man... a great man,” Buffon said of Astori, who leaves behind a wife and a two-year-old daughter.
Astori began his career at AC Milan, also playing for Cagliari and Roma before joining Fiorentina in 2015.
He made his international debut under coach Cesare Prandelli in March 2011 as a first-half substitute in a 2-0 victory over Ukraine in Kiev before getting sent off with 17 minutes remaining.
Astori scored his only international goal in the 2013 Confederations Cup third-place play-off against Uruguay, giving Italy a first-half lead in a match which finished 2-2. Italy went on to win on penalties.
Italian prosecutors open investigation into death of Davide Astori
Italian prosecutors open investigation into death of Davide Astori
100 aspiring young golfers in Saudi Arabia set for next phase with ROSHN Rising Stars
- Arab News spoke to Tyler Jacobson, director of corporate communications at ROSHN Group, about the program’s growth and its long-term vision
RIYADH: With LIV Golf Riyadh 2026 in the books, the success of 22-year-old Australian Elvis Smylie — who claimed victory at Riyadh Golf Club last weekend — has certainly inspired more than just the professionals on the leaderboard.
ROSHN Group, title partner of LIV Golf Riyadh 2026, is now looking to build on that momentum by expanding the ROSHN Rising Stars program, an initiative designed to create opportunities for the next generation of young Saudi golfers.
Following months of training and exposure across LIV Golf events in the UK and US, including participation in the Riyadh Pro-Am tournament, the program is set to enter its next phase, expanding to support a total of 100 aspiring golfers across the Kingdom.
Arab News spoke to Tyler Jacobson, director of corporate communications at ROSHN Group, about the program’s growth and its long-term vision.
“The ROSHN Rising Stars are a group of kids who have come together to learn golf,” Jacobson said. “Many of them have never played golf before in their lives, but last summer, when we partnered with LIV Golf as an international pillar partner, we decided to do something bigger and more meaningful.”
The program focuses not only on developing golfing ability, but on personal growth beyond the course.
“We wanted to give young people the opportunity to grow and learn in the sport of golf, as well as learn new skills on and off of the golf course.”
Golf’s footprint in the region has grown in recent years, with millions tuning in for events in the Middle East as kids partake in the sport through initiatives like the ROSHN Fan Village. For ROSHN Group, that growth aligns naturally with its broader quality-of-life objectives.
“We have seen a real appetite and hunger to engage with the sport. Golf teaches you patience, discipline and values that carry far beyond competition,” Jacobson said. “Quality of life and sport go hand-in-hand, and that’s exactly why we’ve partnered with LIV Golf.
“They’re elevating not only their skills, but their aptitude for life, for traveling, for exposure to new things. This is where we believe the program has offered a lot to the children.”
Participants in the program range in age from 8 to 15, with the program offering an unprecedented level of opportunities to youth in Saudi Arabia.
During the course, which lasts six months, they will receive professional coaching and access to elite golfing facilities in Saudi Arabia, in addition to hands-on competitive experiences. The program is set to support a total of 100 aspiring golfers across Saudi Arabia.
Jacobson believes that events such as LIV Golf play a key role in inspiring youth-focused initiatives like ROSHN Rising Stars.
“LIV Golf is a young league, but it’s doing things like creating new formats and exposing new people across the world to the sport of golf,” he said.
“Traditionally, the sport has been more Westernized, so (allowing) Saudi youth to grow at this stage of the game is a huge opportunity,” Jacobson added. “You see it in our projects, in our communities. It aligns completely with Saudi Vision 2030.”
That quality-of-life aspect has been a strong selling point for golf in breaking into new audiences. In a world where sports are increasingly dominated by success, fame and money, golf also provides an opportunity to grow from a human perspective.
“Ultimately, your skills are not what truly matter,” Jacobson said. “What matters is the desire to learn, to commit and to grow. That’s what we value, and that’s what this program is about.”
