Davide Astori
Davide Astori was an Italian professional footballer who played as a central defender.
After playing youth football for Pontisola and AC Milan, Astori started his senior career at Serie C clubs Pizzighettone and Cremonese, playing one season for each while on loan from Milan. In 2008, Cagliari signed him in a co-ownership deal, before signing him fully from Milan, for whom he never made a first team appearance, in 2011. He later spent loan spells at Roma and Fiorentina, before signing with the latter club permanently in 2016; he was subsequently named the team's captain in 2017.
Astori made his international debut for Italy in 2011 and represented his country on 14 occasions, scoring one goal, which came in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup third place play off, where he won a bronze medal.
On 4 March 2018, Astori was found dead in his hotel room prior to a league match. His autopsy revealed cardiac arrest as his cause of death.
Club career
Early career
Born and raised in the province of Bergamo, Astori started playing football with local team Pontisola before joining AC Milan in 2001. He spent five years in the club's youth system. Astori later reflected on his development, saying: "After a year of courtship, of auditions, I came to wear the AC Milan shirt with the very young regional players. Along with twelve, thirteen new players. There was always a lot of change. I'm from San Giovanni Bianco, so it was already an adventure. But the greatest memories are precisely due to transfers with teammates, making the return from training. They were beautiful years, lived positively, for a boy there was no better experience. Honestly, it is difficult to get out of balance, because in fifty professional clubs there are twenty boys for each team in the youth sector, so every word is illusory. I have always believed in it and hoped for it, growing from year to year until it becomes one."Astori was sent on two consecutive loan spells to Serie C1 clubs Pizzighettone and Cremonese for the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons, respectively.
Cagliari
At the beginning of the 2008–09 season, Astori was signed by Serie A club Cagliari in a co-ownership deal with Milan, for €1 million. Upon joining the club, he said: "For me, it's an adventure which I undertake with great desire to test myself, learn and grow. I will be ready if and when the coach's call arrives."Astori made his official debut in the top-flight during an away game against Siena on 14 September 2008, coming on as a 53rd-minute substitute, in a 2–0 loss. Since making his debut for the club, he spent most of the season on the substitute bench throughout the season. But Astori made six starts for Cagliari, all of them were centre–back position. At the end of the 2008–09 season, Astori made eleven appearances for the side.
In June 2009, the club renewed their ownership with A.C. Milan to keep Astori at Cagliari for another year. At the start of the 2009–10 season, he replaced Diego López and quickly became a first team regular, playing in the centre–back position. Astori then helped the club keep three consecutive clean sheets between 28 October 2009 and 8 November 2009. He then scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw against Fiorentina on 31 January 2010. A month later on 28 February 2010, Astori scored his second goal in a 2–1 loss against Chievo. On 3 April 2010, Astori scored an own goal against A.C. Milan to allow Milan scored the third goal in the match which Cagliari lost 3–2. Despite missing three matches during the 2009–10 season, Astori made thirty–five appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.
Over the summer, rumours spread when A.C. Milan was keen to sign Astori but nothing happened. Despite the rumours, Astori was keen to rejoin A.C. Milan in the summer. The club renewed their ownership with A.C. Milan to keep Astori at Cagliari for another year in June 2010. At the start of the 2010–11 season, he helped the side keep three clean sheets in the first five league matches. Since the start of the 2010–11 season, Astori continued to regain his first team place in the centre–back position, forming a partnership with Michele Canini. He also started in every match until missing one match for picking up five yellow cards and served a suspension against Catania on 12 December 2010. After serving a one match suspension, Astori returned to the starting line–up against Cesena on 18 December 2010, starting the whole game, in a 1–0 loss. Following his return, he continued to start in the centre–back position for the next twelve matches. This lasted until Astori was suspended for the second time for picking another five yellow cards and served a suspension against Napoli on 20 March 2011. After serving a one match suspension, Astori returned to the starting line–up against Genoa on 3 April 2011 and helped the side keep a clean sheet, in a 1–0 win. In a follow–up matcha against Brescia, he set up the club's opening goal of the game, in a 1–0 win. In the last game of the season against Parma, Astori set up the equalising goal, in a 1–1 draw to end Cagliari's four match losing streak. At the end of the 2010–11 season, he made thirty–six appearances in all competitions.
On 22 June 2011, the club bought the residual 50% registration rights from Milan for another €3.5 million. At the start of the 2011–12 season, Astori started in the first eight league matches, playing in the centre–back position, continuing to partner with Canini. However, he suffered a fractured foot in a match against Napoli on 23 October 2011 following an intervention by Ezequiel Lavezzi and have to come off on the 21 minutes in a 0–0 draw. His injury resulted in his being out for 3 months. After the match, Astori revealed that Lavezzi personally apologised for injuring him. On 8 January 2012, he returned to the starting line–up, in a 3–0 win against Genoa. Since returning from injury, Astori regained his first team place, playing in the centre–back position, for the next twelve matches. But he missed one match for picking up five yellow cards and served a suspension against Atalanta on 1 April 2012. On 7 April 2012, Astori returned to the starting line–up against Inter Milan and scored his first goal of the season, in a 2–2 draw. He later regained his first team place, playing in the centre–back position, for the rest of the season. At the end of the 2011–12 season, Astori made twenty–nine appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
On 9 July 2012, Astori revealed he turned down a move to Russian side Spartak Moscow worth a €15 million fee after agreement between two clubs. Instead, Astori signed a contract with Cagliari that keep him until 2016. Astori explained turning down a move to Spartak Moscow because he wanted to stay at Cagliari and achieve his goals with the club. At the start of the 2012–13 season, Astori appeared in the first two league matches for Cagliari before being dropped from the squad for the next two league matches, due to sustaining a muscle injury while at international duty. He then returned to the starting line–up, starting the whole game, in a 2–0 loss against AC Milan on 26 September 2012. Astori then helped the club keep three clean sheets between 7 October 2012 and 28 October 2012. But he was suspended on two occasions, including his sending off for a second bookable offence, in a 3–1 los against Juventus on 21 December 2012. In the January transfer window, Astori was linked with a move to Premier League side Southampton, but the move fell through and he stayed at the club. Astori was once again sent–off for the second time for a second bookable offence, in a 1–1 draw against AC Milan on 10 February 2013. He then captained for Cagliari for the first time in his career against Napoli on 21 April 2013, as they lost 3–2. Despite being sidelined throughout the 2012–13 season, Astori continued to regain his first team place, playing in the centre–back position. He went on to make thirty–three appearances in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2013–14 season, Astori was linked a move away from Cagliari with Napoli interested in signing him. But he ended up staying at the club. As a result, Astori was dropped to the substitute bench amid to his future at Cagliari. On 15 September 2013, he made his first league appearance of the season, starting the whole game, in a 1–1 draw against Fiorentina. Since the start of the 2013–14 season, Astori continued to regain his first team place, playing in the centre–back position. He then captained the side for the first time in the 2013–14 season against Parma on 15 December 2013 and helped the side keep a clean sheet, in a 0–0 draw. In a follow–up match against Napoli, Astori set up the opening goal of the game, in a 1–1 draw. After missing a match against Livorno on 16 February 2014 due to "muscle ache in the rectus femoris of the left leg", he returned to the starting line–up and captained for Cagliari in the next two matches, earning four points for the side. But after serving a one match suspension for picking another five yellow cards and served a suspension against Lazio on 16 March 2014, Astori returned to the starting line–up and captained Cagliari in the next two matches, earning three points for the side. Having captained the total of six times in the 2013–14 season, Cagliari News 24 made an assessment of Astori's performance, as he alternated good matches with less good performances. As the season was concluded, Astori went on to make thirty–five appearances in all competitions.
Roma
On 24 July 2014, Cagliari announced Astori's move to Roma on a season-long loan deal. The transfer was settled in €2 million and Roma held the option to make it permanent at the end of the season for another €5 million. It came after when Astori renewed his contract with Cagliari a day before the Roma transfer.Astori made his Roma debut in the opening game of the season against Fiorentina and helped the side keep a clean sheet, in a 2–0 win. Two weeks later on 17 September 2014, he made his UEFA Champions League debut, starting the whole game, in a 5–1 win against CSKA Moscow. However, after the match, Astori suffered a knee injury that kept him out for three weeks. On 18 October 2014, he returned to the starting line–up against ChievoVerona and helped Roma keep a clean sheet by winning 3–0. Astori then followed up by keeping two clean sheets in the next two matches against Sampdoria and Cesena. However, during a 2–0 loss against Cesena, he suffered a hamstring injury that saw him substituted and was sidelined for two weeks. On 22 November 2014, Astori returned to the starting line–up, in a 2–1 win against Atalanta. Two months later on 6 January 2015, he scored his first goal for the club, scoring the only goal of the game, in a victory over Udinese. Throughout the 2014–15 season, Astori found himself in and out of the starting line–up for the side, as he continued to fight for his place over the centre–back position. Having helped Roma finish in second place to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season, Astori made 30 total appearances during his time at the Stadio Olimpico, and scoring once in all competitions.
Following this, it was speculated on Astori's future on whether Roma would sign him on a permanent basis. But it was reported on 23 June 2015 that Roma has decided against signing Astori on a permanent basis.