Mayor of Florence announces day of mourning for Davide Astori

The mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, announced on Sunday that the Italian city will observe "a day of mourning" during the funeral of footballer Davide Astori, captain of Fiorentina, who passed away Saturday night.

"The news of Davide Astori's untimely death has shocked the world of football and deeply affected the entire city of Florence, the place he had chosen to pursue his profession and build his family life," Nardella wrote in a statement issued by the city council.

Eliciting "a genuine and profound sense of sorrow from the entire city," the mayor has decided to "declare a municipal mourning for the day of Davide Astori's funeral, an exemplary man both on and off the football field".

Astori died at the age of 31 in his hotel room at La di Moret in Udine, where his team was scheduled to play a match for the 27th round of Serie A on Sunday. His body was taken to a hospital in the city for autopsy.

The date of the funeral for the player has not yet been announced.