In Bergamo today, friends, colleagues and family will gather for the funeral of Piermario Morosini, the 25-year-old midfield player who collapsed and died representing Livorno in last Saturday's Serie B fixture at Pescara.
The autopsy results are inconclusive so far, but he appears to have suffered a heart attack. The death of a young sportsman exerts a peculiar tug on emotions, evident on Tuesday by the number of fans who came to Livorno's Armando Picchi stadium to pay respects around Morosini's coffin.
They were not only followers of Livorno, or Udinese, the club who had loaned the former Italy Under 21 player to Livorno in January.
Because sport is so vital, such a vivid expression of life, premature death on the field strikes all those who love watching and actively participating in sport especially hard.
Many mourners had learnt more about Morosini the individual since he died, too. He was evidently popular and had overcome a number of setbacks.
His parents had both died while he was a teenager. A brother had also lost his life young and Morosini devoted a significant portion of his resources to caring for his disabled sister.
Udinese, through a statement made by their captain Antonio Di Natale, have committed to providing the same financial care for Morosini's sister as he did, for the rest of her life. Livorno have also pledged support for her. Sometimes football displays some tawdry standards, but in this case, these clubs have acted nobly.
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