Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove is awake and alert in the hospital following his sudden collapse during Sunday’s Serie A match against Inter Milan at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence. The incident led to the suspension of the match after just 16 minutes of play.

According to a statement from Fiorentina on Monday, Bove “was awakened and extubated this morning. He is currently awake, alert, and oriented” at Florence’s Careggi hospital. The club added that he had already spoken with his family, coach, teammates, and club management, who rushed to his side upon hearing the positive news.

Further medical tests are planned to determine the cause of the midfielder’s critical situation. Initial assessments conducted Sunday evening ruled out serious damage to his central nervous system or cardiorespiratory functions.

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Fiorentina’s general manager, Alessandro Ferrari, spoke to reporters outside the hospital, revealing that Bove had urged his teammates to continue with their upcoming Italian Cup tie against Empoli on Wednesday. “He convinced them to play on Wednesday, so we will because we want to get back to regular life. Thanks to Edoardo, we’ll try to do that,” Ferrari stated.

However, speculation about Bove’s future as a professional footballer remains premature. Ferrari emphasized the need for further evaluations, especially in Italy, where medical requirements for athletes are stringent. The situation draws comparisons to Christian Eriksen, who suffered cardiac arrest during the European Championship in 2021. Eriksen was later barred from playing in Italy after receiving an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) but successfully resumed his career in England and now plays for Manchester United.

Bove’s collapse also brought back painful memories for Fiorentina fans, who recalled former captain Davide Astori’s tragic passing in 2018 due to sudden cardiac arrest. Fans remained at the stadium long after the game was stopped, anxiously awaiting updates as players and officials struggled to process the shocking turn of events.

Serie A announced that a decision regarding the completion of the Fiorentina-Inter match will be made soon, with Italian media suggesting February as a likely rescheduling window. For now, the football world collectively breathes a sigh of relief at the positive update on Bove’s condition.