Fiorentina player collapses on field in Italy’s Serie A

MILAN (AP):

The Italian league title race didn’t seem so important yesterday after a player collapsed on the field during a Serie A match.

League leaders Napoli had won 1-0 at Torino earlier in the day and were waiting to see how their rivals would fare, especially Fiorentina and Inter Milan, who were playing each other later and were just four points behind.

However, Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove fell to the ground in the 16th minute of the match, which was abandoned shortly afterwards with the scoreline at 0-0.

The 22-year-old Italian was swiftly stretchered off to an ambulance and taken to hospital, where he is in a medically induced coma.

Fiorentina said initial tests have “ruled out acute damage to the central nervous system and the cardio-respiratory system” and that Bove will be re-evaluated in the next 24 hours.

Fiorentina players were distraught on the field and were comforted by staff members as well as Inter players. Several were openly sobbing before both teams filed off the field.

Napoli on top

Napoli will end the weekend still top of a tight Serie A table.

Scott McTominay scored the only goal of the match in the first half as Napoli pulled away from one of their closest rivals as Lazio lost 3-1 at relegation-threatened Parma.

Lazio stayed on 28 points along with Atalanta, Inter, and Fiorentina, while Napoli moved onto 32. Atalanta visit Roma today.

Juventus have 26 points after substitute Ante Rebic levelled in stoppages to snatch a 1-1 draw for Lecce.

It was an entertaining match at Torino, where Napoli broke the deadlock in the 31st minute. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia kept possession as he made his way into the area from the left before laying the ball off to McTominay for the Scotland midfielder to drive into the near bottom corner.

Torino should have levelled almost immediately when Saul Coco just had to bundle the ball into an empty net from close range but somehow fell over it instead.

Napoli had numerous chances to extend its advantage, but Vanja Milinkovic-Savic was in impressive form in the Torino goal.

Surprise loss

Lazio’s run of seven straight wins had been brought to an end by a draw against Ludogorets in the Europa League midweek, and it was worse yesterday as they fell to their first loss since October.

Lazio had two goals disallowed and a penalty revoked after a VAR check in a frustrating first half for the visitors.

Parma inched four points clear of the drop zone with the win.