Fiorentina's Edoardo Bove collapses during match against Inter Milan as players left in tears around him

The Serie A match between Fiorentina and Inter Milan was suspended on Sunday afternoon following a medical emergency involving midfielder Edoardo Bove.

In the 16th minute of the game, Bove collapsed with no one around him.

Players from both sides quickly rushed towards the midfielder, who is on loan from AS Roma, after he fell to the ground after bending down to tie his shoelace. Reports suggest a number of players were in tears.

As medical personnel attended to the 22-year-old, players and officials surrounded Bove in a shielding wall for privacy. He was soon taken off the pitch in an ambulance and taken to transported to Careggi Hospital in Florence.

According to Reuters, he was breathing on his own but had not regained consciousness.

Image credit: Serie A

The match was later abandoned with plans to reschedule the fixture later in the season.

At 7:26pm, Fiorentina posted an update on Bove's condition.

It read: "ACF and the Careggi University Hospital Company announce that the footballer Edoardo Bove, who was rescued on the pitch following a loss of consciousness during the match, is currently under pharmacological sedation and hospitalised in intensive care.

"Bove arrived at the emergency room in stable hemodynamic condition and the first cardiological and neurological tests performed excluded acute damage to the central nervous system and the cardio-respiratory system."

The statement added: "He will be re-evaluated in the next 24 hours."

Image credit: Getty

Many fans on social media sent well-wishes. One fan wrote: "Respect to Dimarco and Barella who fought urgently for the medics to come on the field as soon as possible. Prayers up for Edoardo Bove, his family and Fiorentina football club."

A second said: "Awful scenes in Florence. Edoardo Bove collapsed on the pitch, untouched. Paramedics have taken him away. Fiorentina-Inter game suspended, players appear badly shaken. Both teams back in the dressing room."

A third commented: "That was genuinely horrific. All thoughts & prayers go to Bove," and a fourth said: "Prayers up for Edoardo Bove, his family and Fiorentina football club."

A fifth added: "These are moments that make football seem so inconsequential. We get so worked up over people kicking a ball and then something like puts it all in a very different perspective. Totally correct to abandon the game. All thoughts and prayers with Edoardo Bove."

Fiorentina goalkeeper David de Gea also commented following the incident,. He took to X, formerly Twitter, and wrote: "God Please [prayer emoji]".