A teenage Italian soccer player died suddenly Monday after suffering a brain aneurysm in training.
Andrea Rinaldi, 19, was a youth prospect for Atalanta and was playing for Serie D’s Legnano on loan, according to ESPN.
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Rinaldi’s funeral was set to take place Thursday in Como but was postponed due to the possible violation of coronavirus restrictions, authorities said.
“Andrea Rinaldi's funeral has been postponed to a date not yet confirmed,” Legnano said in a statement. “The local Como authorities have canceled the ceremony originally set for Thursday May 14 due to the enormous attention the death of our Andrea has received and, as a consequence, so an influx of people risked failing to conform to anti-COVID-19 regulations.
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“The Rinaldi family, however, are firmly intent on guaranteeing Andrea the farewell and tribute he deserves: no ceremony for just 15 people in a closed space, but a free flow in a large open space such as the Cermenate Stadium. The easing of lockdown rules from Monday May 18 could prove a solution.”
Rinaldi joined Atalanta when he was 13 and helped the club win an under-17 league title in 2016.
Atalanta President Giovani Munafo released a statement reacting to Rinaldi’s death, according to the New York Post.
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“Andrea was coming to the training session and the first thing that he would do was to come to me and say, ‘Hi,’” Munafo said. “This is a memory that I will carry in my heart. An extraordinary boy, an example to everyone. On behalf of the club, I express my most heartfelt condolences to the family.
“We’re sure that Andrea from up there will be the warrior he used to be here, fighting in the pitch to bring joy to the Legnano fans.”