Cannavaro leads local tributes to Italian player

Dubai: Fabio Cannavaro, Italy's Dubai-based 2006 World Cup-winning captain, has led the local tributes to Udinese midfielder Piermario Morosini, branding his fellow countryman's untimely death as "a moment of sadness for everyone".

Speaking to Gulf News in reaction to the 25-year-old's passing, which happened during a Serie B match on Saturday between Livorno — with whom Morosini was on loan — and Pescara, the ambassador for Dubai's Al Ahli Club said: "I am deeply saddened by the news of Piermario's death. He was a young and talented player who also had a difficult life, losing both his parents when he was younger. It is a moment of sadness for everyone."

Twitter comment

Cannavaro's reaction followed on from an earlier tweet of his, which read: "I heard about this sad news, rest in peace Morisini, a hug to all your family."

Al Ahli chairman Abdullah Al Naboodah's thoughts were also retweeted on Cannavaro's Twitter page, stating: "It's always sad to lose a player in his prime. RIP Morosini."

Meanwhile, Al Nasr Club, who have a strong Italian contingent under coach Walter Zenga and players Luca Toni and Mark Bresciano, expressed their condolences via team manager and spokesman Khalid Obaid.

"Al Nasr's thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Piermario Morosini at this most difficult of times. We pray that his soul rests in peace," Obaid said.

The tragic events cast a particularly poignant spell over Al Nasr after they suffered a similar loss in November 2009, when 31-year-old UAE national team striker and former Al Shabab Al Arabi stalwart Salem Sa'ad collapsed and died in training at Maktoum Stadium in Oud Mehta in similar circumstances.

Media reactions

Italian newspapers also responded to the tragedy. La Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport ran with identical headlines: "Death on the pitch, football stops." Corriere added in a second line: "Terrible, Morosini dies on the pitch."

They used a running headline across a number of pages entitled "Football in shock", while they elaborated on the reaction with: "A river of tears for Moro. His coach [Armando] Madonna's stare lost in the void."

Gazzetta, meanwhile, chose to focus on the "unfortunate life of a happy lad. His parents and brother dead, his sister disabled and then the love for his volleyball player girlfriend. The story of a footballer who had fought against everything".

— With additional inputs from agencies