Milan Badelj wears the captain’s armband today for Fiorentina and will “do my best to maintain Davide Astori’s spirit with us.”
The game with Benevento kicks off at 11.30 GMT, follow the build-up and action on the Liveblog.
It is the first match since captain Astori died in his sleep a week ago, aged just 31.
Milan Badelj wears the captain’s armband today for Fiorentina and will “do my best to maintain Davide Astori’s spirit with us.”
The game with Benevento kicks off at 11.30 GMT, follow the build-up and action on the Liveblog.
It is the first match since captain Astori died in his sleep a week ago, aged just 31.
“I will try to do my best to maintain his spirit not just alive, but always present and tangible to all of us who were close to him,” new captain Badelj told Mediaset Premium.
“We’ll try to put into our work everything he always did, which is the hard work, spirit, grit and determination. I’ll try to transmit that to the team.
“It was him who kept all of us together and helped this relatively new and young team to grow relatively quickly. We want to keep his wonderful work going.”
Astori’s Number 13 jersey has been retired, but all his teammates and Coach Stefano Pioli are warming up wearing it.
The large banner in the stands reads: 'There are men who never die… There are stories that are passed on through eternity… Bon voyage, Captain.'
Image via @wilbacher