Davide Astori's funeral service has taken place in Florence, with thousands of fans and representatives of every Serie A club attending to pay their respects.
The Fiorentina and Italy defender passed away on Saturday after a sudden illness and will be laid to rest in Bergamo, his town of birth.
This is what Davide Astori meant to the people of Florence and all of Italy.
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) March 8, 2018
More than just a captain on the pitch 🙏 pic.twitter.com/TJ0BztRSfi
Players in attendance included Italy's national team captain Gianluigi Buffon and Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini, along with his manager Massimiliano Allegri.
Chiellini dedicated Juve's two-legged victory over Tottenham Hotspur to Astori the previous evening.
"We dedicate the win to him. He is on our minds on this day," BBC Sport quotes him as saying.
"I cried many times. He was a fantastic player. It was very difficult during the match because we had to think of the game and the outcome, and it's not easy. But he's always in our heart."
The crowd chanted "There's only one captain" while Astori's coffin was carried from the church and the Florence government has declared a day of mourning.
Mark Langshaw
