Antonio Conte pays tribute to 'fantastic guy' Davide Astori
Monday 5 March 2018 06:18, UK
Antonio Conte has described Davide Astori, who died on Sunday aged 31, as a "fantastic guy".
Astori passed away just hours before Fiorentina's game against Udinese and every Serie A match on Sunday was postponed following the news.
Conte worked with the Fiorentina captain during his spell as Italy manager between 2014-16 and, speaking before Chelsea's game against Manchester City, he paid tribute to his former player.
He said: "This is a tragedy. This news really hurt me. It's very difficult to find the right words for the family.
"I had him with the national team. It's very difficult to speak about this tragedy.
"He was a fantastic guy - a great player but especially a fantastic guy. I stay very close to his family in this moment because he was only 31. It's very difficult to explain this situation."
Astori made 14 caps for Italy, and the FA say they are planning a tribute to him when the Azzurri visit Wembley for a friendly later this month.
