Milan boss Stefano Pioli will return to Florence tomorrow on the fifth anniversary of Davide Astori’s death: ‘He is always with me, a true captain.’
Former Fiorentina captain Astori died in Udine on March 4, 2018, the night before a Serie A match between the Tuscans and Udinese at the Dacia Arena.
Pioli was the Fiorentina coach at that time. Tomorrow, Saturday, March 4, 2023, he will return to the Stadio Franchi to face La Viola and the fixture’s date hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“Davide will surely smile. To me, games in Florence are always special. Tomorrow, even more. Davide is always with me,” Pioli said at a pre-match press conference on Friday.
“He taught me many things, something I want to carry forward. He was an example of positivity, a true captain.”
Astori scored one goal in 27 matches under Pioli.
Fiorentina have named their training centre after their ex-captain and before every Serie A match, the stadium speaker announces Astori’s name at the end of the starting line-up.
The same will happen on Saturday when Pioli reunites at the Stadio Franchi in Florence with the fans who mourned the death of their 31-year-old captain five years ago.