On Sunday morning the football world was hit by the tragic news that Fiorentina captain Davide Astori had suffered from a heart attack in his sleep and died. On Wednesday night Giorgio Chiellini offered an emotional tribute to his friend.
The passing of Davide Astori on Sunday night reminds us that football isn't really important. For the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and his Italy teammates the game can always serve as a reminder of their friend who passed away.
Chiellini was man of the match as Juventus beat Spurs 2-1 at Wembley to progress to the Champions League quarter final, coming from 1-0 down on the night and 4-3 on aggregate.
The Juve defender showed his class on the pitch and after the match when asked about Astori he showed it off the pitch too. In a beautifully moving tribute he said:
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"We dedicate to him not only this match but every mind in this day. I cry many times. I always believe him because he's a fantastic player. It's very difficult during the match because we have to think of the game, of the opponents - it's not easy. It's always our heart.
"Tomorrow we go to give the last ciao together without teammates.
"It's difficult but we have to continue our life. For us it's important in national team in our heart to always be positive and always smile.
"We would like to continue to smile in our heart."
After Astori's death Serie A postponed all games on Sunday, making the Old Lady's win last night the first time an Italian side had played since the tragedy.
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Cagliari and Fiorentina both retired the number 13 shirt that the centre back had worn for both sides as tribute and many players took to social media to pay respects to their friend.
Chiellini's performance both on and off the pitch may be the best tribute yet though, pure class.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Spurs, Davide Astori, Juventus, Champions League, Giorgio Chiellini, Fiorentina, Italy
