Conditions were immediately dramatic, the 26-year-old fell ill while playing: fatal cardiac arrest

FLORENCE – The 26-year-old footballer who yesterday fell ill on the field of the municipal stadium of Campi Bisenzio (Florence) during the Eccellenza championship match between Lanciotto Campi and Castelfiorentino has died in Careggi hospital. The mayor of Castelfiorentino Alessio Falorni writes this in a post on Facebook. The boy, Mattia Giani, originally from Ponte a Egola (Pisa), felt ill during the football match. His condition immediately appeared desperate. The race had been suspended.

Mayor Falorni’s Facebook post “Unfortunately, terrible news has reached me. Mattia didn’t make it”, wrote mayor Falorni on Facebook announcing the death of the 26-year-old footballer who played among the amateurs of Castelfiorentino United and who felt bad in the away match at Campi Bisenzio against the Lanciotto team. “A terrible tragedy – added Falorni -. A heartbreaking pain. We can only gather together in a very strong embrace to the family, and to the society to which they belong. Rest in peace”. The young footballer suffered a cardiac arrest during yesterday’s match on the pitch of the municipal stadium of Campi Bisenzio (Florence). The 26-year-old, originally from Ponte a Egola, collapsed to the ground in the fifteenth minute of the first half. He played as a striker. He had grown up in the youth teams of Empoli and then in those of Pisa. In his football career he wore the shirt of Grosseto, Real Querceta and Tuttocuoio also playing in Serie D. He has a brother, Elia Giani, who plays in Serie C for Legnano. Castelfiorentino United has decided to suspend all training activities of its teams. Message of condolence also from Pisa Calcio, which rallies around the family.

The condolences of the Region and of Empoli” Mattia Giani couldn’t make it. Our entire region is united by the sudden and painful passing of the young footballer from Ponte a Egola who suffered an illness on the pitch yesterday. To the family and to the friends, the embrace of Tuscany, rest in peace”. Thus the governor of Tuscany Eugenio Giani in a post on Facebook on the death of the 26-year-old footballer from Castelfiorentino United, who fell ill on the pitch yesterday and later died in Careggi hospital. Even the Serie A club, Empoli Fc, where the boy had played in the youth teams, expresses its condolences and remembers him: “The president Fabrizio Corsi, the vice-president and managing director Rebecca Corsi, the sporting director Pietro Accardi, the managers and the entire Empoli Football Club expresses their condolences for the premature and sudden death of Mattia Giani, who grew up in our youth sector and was vice champion of Italy Under 17 in 2015”, we read in a note. “It’s the news you never want to hear – declared Rebecca Corsi -, a footballer but above all a boy in the prime of his life, who was having fun on a football pitch. He had grown up with us in Monteboro, he was part of a group who gave us so much satisfaction and today we are mourning his passing. I send a huge hug to his parents and the whole family in this moment of pain.” The closeness of the Italian club also goes “to his brother Elia, also our former footballer, and to the whole family” for them “the deepest condolences from the Italian club in this moment of great pain”.