Fiorentina fans paid their respects to late general manager Joe Barone before a Serie A game against Milan at the Stadio Franchi.
Fiorentina director Barone died on March 29 at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. He had suffered cardiac arrest on Sunday, hours before a Serie A meeting with Atalanta in Bergamo so the game was immediately called off.
The Tuscans meet Milan in their first match since Barone’s passing tonight at the Stadio Franchi and the club and the fans honoured Barone in many ways.
To boost the team’s morale, thousands of Fiorentina fans escorted the team bus to the stadium before the game.
The club showed a touching video on the stadium’s giant screen in the Curva Ferrovia and a Fiorentina shirt with the number 1 and Barone’s name was placed in the seat where Barone used to watch home matches.
There was a minute silence before kick-off, like before any other game in Roun 30, but at the end of it, a group of child mascots released white balloons into the air.