Fiorentina's Bove collapses on pitch in Serie A match against Inter Milan
After Bove was taken away in an ambulance, the referee asked the players to leave the pitch and return to the dressing room.
Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove was taken off the pitch in an ambulance after collapsing shortly after the start of their Serie A match against Inter Milan on Sunday.
Sky Sport Italia reported that Bove was transported to the Careggi Hospital near the Stadio Franchi in Florence and that he was breathing on his own and had regained consciousness.
Play was halted at the stadium with the score 0-0 to review a potential VAR check on a disallowed Lautaro Martinez goal when the 22-year-old, seemingly bending down to take off his boot, suddenly collapsed in the 17th minute.
Medical personnel rushed onto the pitch, with the Fiorentina players forming a ring around Bove, who arrived at the club on loan from AS Roma in August.
After Bove was taken away in an ambulance, the referee asked the players to leave the pitch and return to the dressing room.
A Serie A spokesperson said later that the match was suspended and would be postponed to a later date.
Inter chairman Giuseppe Marotta stated that postponing the match was an easy decision.
"Football is a community, so naturally when these situations happen, all the players and the referee worked together to help and it was a spontaneous decision to abandon the game," he told Sky Sport Italia.
Support for Bove poured in from other Serie A clubs.
"We all are with you Edoardo!" Juventus posted on X where league leaders Napoli said: "Come on Edoardo, we are with you!".