The world of football is plunged back into fear for at least an hour. Edoardo Bove collapses to the ground in the 17th minute of Fiorentina-Inter , the doctors' intervention, the rush to the hospital, the players in tears. Images that make you fear the worst, for at least an hour.

It should be a great party at the Franchi, a challenge for the Scudetto between two teams tied for second place in the standings behind league leaders Napoli. Instead, in a matter of seconds the ice falls, tears of despair flow from the faces of the protagonists of the show.

In the 17th minute of the first half, the VAR check is underway to assess the regularity of Lautaro Martinez's goal. The referee speaks with Viola coach Raffaele Palladino, the Inter fans protest. In the meantime , Bove ties his boots, takes a few steps, staggers and then collapses on the pitch unconscious , near Calhanoglu and Dumfries, the first to realize the gravity of the situation. Bove's father, Giovanni, is also in the stands. The first to help his teammate is Danilo Cataldi, who puts his hand in his mouth to move his tongue and avoid blocking his airways. Gosens is with him . Then the doctors arrive with the defibrillator.

Meanwhile, Fiorentina captain Ranieri argues heatedly with an ambulance worker, the vehicle does not enter the field, even Dimarco tries to speed up the rescue . Four minutes pass between the moment of the illness and the transport to the Careggi hospital. Four very long minutes, the terrified faces of players and spectators, when the ambulance leaves the stadium a long applause starts from the stands while the teams sadly return to the locker rooms. Shortly after, the postponement of the match is announced .

Tense moments, in reality at Franchi the protocol was respected, which requires the stabilization of the patient before letting him enter the ambulance.

The 22-year-old midfielder had changed his shirt shortly before collapsing, he had taken a blow to the chest and spleen in a clash with Dumfries, and it seems he had mentioned to the bench that he was feeling a bit dizzy .

When he arrives at the hospital in Careggi Bove has regained consciousness, he speaks to those around him . He undergoes a series of tests, and is admitted to intensive care, under pharmacological sedation .

The first bulletin is comforting: " The footballer arrived at the emergency room stable from a haemodynamic point of view, and the first cardiological and neurological tests carried out have excluded acute damage to the central nervous system and the cardiorespiratory system. Bove will be re-evaluated in the next 24 hours ."

No one is yet committing themselves on the causes of the illness, multiple messages from colleagues, fans and friends. On the wall of a parking lot outside the emergency room, the Viola supporters leave a banner: “Forza Edoardo, Florence is with you”.

Fiorentina, a team marked by several tragedies. Antognoni who risks dying on the field after a clash during a game, Davide Astori who suddenly loses his life while he is in retreat in Udine with the team before a championship match. Not even a year ago the sudden death of the director general Joe Barone .

(Unioneonline/L)

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