Crowd and emotion at the funeral of the footballer who died after illness

(ANSA) – MONTOPOLI VALDARNO (PISA), APRIL 22 – A thousand people at the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Romano (Pisa) for the funeral of Mattia Giani, the 26-year-old footballer from Castelfiorentino United who died in Careggi hospital (Florence) after an illness on the pitch on Sunday 14 April during an away match at Campi Bisenzio. Giani, originally from San Miniato, had gone to live with his girlfriend a few days ago. The girl’s memory is the most poignant: “You promised that you would marry me – said Sofia – but even if that day will never come, our souls will always be together. You were a good and kind boy. I am and will always be proud You have left an unfillable void.” “I knew him since I was little – said the parish priest Don Marco Casalini – I was always struck by his smile”. Don Marco addressed Mattia’s family asking them “not to abandon God” and then to the many young people in church, friends, football buddies, schoolmates. “Don’t throw your life away”, “the question we are all asking ourselves and which we cannot answer is: Why?”, also said Don Marco, thus wanting to give vent to the pain and sadness for a tragedy that no one can understand. . There were his father Sandro, his mother Debora, his brother Elia who plays for Legnago Salus in C, relatives and friends, as well as the religious and institutional authorities, from the bishop of San Miniato Don Giovanni Paccosi, to the mayors of Montopoli in Val d’Arno, San Miniato and Castelfranco di Sotto. To pay their final farewell to Mattia were many people who met him during his career as a player, coaches, instructors, managers and volunteers from sports clubs. On the coffin, in addition to the flowers, photos, tickets and memories of the 26-year-old, there were about ten football shirts that he had worn during his sporting career, Castelfiorentino United, Empoli, Grosseto, Pisa, Ponsacco, Savona, Real Forte Querceta and Cascina. There was also a blue national team shirt. (HANDLE).