Udinese to take care of Piermario Morosini's sister

London: Antonio Di Natale says Udinese have promised to take care of the sister of Piermario Morosini, who died during a Serie B game on Saturday.

Morosini, who was 25 years old, was on loan from Udinese at Livorno when he suffered a cardiac arrest playing against Pescara.

The former Italy Under-21 international is survived by his severely disabled older sister. His mother passed away when he was 15, his father died soon after and his disabled brother killed himself.

Udinese's captain Di Natale said: "We know the situation of his sister and we as a team, the club, and Udinese for Life have decided to help her because she is in real need. It is essential to stay by the side of Piermario's sister for her entire life. She needs us and we want to help, both for her and for Mario.

"When I saw the scene on the TV it was immediately clear that it was something serious. It was a very bad moment. He was an exceptional lad, so full of life. Despite all the problems he had, he was always at the disposal of the team and every day he gave us all strength." The Italian Football Association (FIGC) cancelled all of the weekend's Serie A fixtures in the wake of Morosini's death.

Meanwhile, the policeman responsible for the delay of an ambulance reaching the stricken Morosini was automatically suspended yesterday pending an internal investigation.

— With inputs from agencies