The Italian press have expressed their shock and sadness over the death of Livorno midfielder Piermario Morosini.
The 25-year-old, who was on loan from Udinese, suffered a cardiac arrest during his team's Serie B match at Pescara on Saturday. He was rushed to Pescara's Santo Spirito hospital, where he was declared dead. The tragedy has made front-page headlines of all the major newspapers in the country.
National newspaper La Repubblica leads with Morosini's death with the headline: "He dies on the pitch, drama in football." La Repubblica's editorial best summarises the sentiment of the nation, reading: "Incredulous and helpless."
A photograph of the player with the caption "Piermario Morosini 1986-2012" covers the front page of Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Death on the pitch, Italian football stops," ran Gazzetta's headline, which added: "Controversy regarding medical assistance."
An inquiry into Morosini's death will be opened after a parked car belonging to traffic police had initially blocked the ambulance's path into the stadium and its window had to be broken so the car could be moved.
Turin-based sports newspaper Tuttosport described the pain felt by everyone who knew Morosini.
"We have lost a son," read its headline, which added, "No-one can forget the horrible images of Pescara v Livorno."
Morosini fell to the ground in the 31st minute of the game and tried to get back up before collapsing again. Despite desperate attempts to resuscitate him, Morosini never regained consciousness.
Corriere dello Sport has several photographs of the incident on the front page followed by a caption which reads: "Tragedy in Pescara, Morosini suffers a sudden illness and dies. He was only 25."
Source: PA
