Fate, sometimes, is cruel. It can shatter a dream in the middle of its journey, leaving a void that is impossible to fill. On March 4, 2018, in a hotel room in Udine, Davide Astori's heart stopped beating, but his memory has never faded . He was just 31 years old, a career that made him a symbol of loyalty, humility and talent. Not just a footballer, but an extraordinary man.

When you think of Astori, your thoughts inevitably fly to Florence, the city that gave him the captain's armband and that still celebrates him as a hero. But before Viola, before the national team, before the big challenges, there was Cagliari . Sardinia was not just a stage in his career, but the land where he grew up. Six years in rossoblù, from 2008 to 2014, with that number 13 shirt that accompanied him like a sign of destiny. Six seasons in which he fought, sacrificed himself, defended the colors of Cagliari with a passion that won everyone over.

Arriving young and with a lot to prove, it was in Sardinia that he honed his talent . An elegant central defender, very strong in the air, gifted with an uncommon football intelligence. Wearing the red and blue jersey, he deserved to be called up to the national team, a dream he fulfilled with 14 appearances. Then Rome, then Florence. And then that cursed 4th of March, when football stopped, struck by a pain too great to be explained in words .

But Astori never really left. Cagliari and Fiorentina have retired his number 13 jersey, because no one else will ever be able to wear it. And every year, at the thirteenth minute of the rossoblù and viola challenges, the stadiums fill with applause. Sixty seconds to remember a man who left an indelible mark.

Off the pitch he was a curious soul, a lover of architecture, reading, always ready to learn something new. He looked for beauty in the little things, just like he did with the ball between his feet . And perhaps that is why, after all these years, his memory does not fade.

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