Serie A club Lecce is in deep mourning.

Tragic death: Serie A club refuses to play

Serie A club Lecce is deeply saddened by a tragic death within the team.

24 April 2025

From: det

Tragic news has come from Serie A club Lecce. The southern Italian club was scheduled to play against Atalanta in Bergamo on Friday, but that has been canceled. The reason: Lecce's physiotherapist died suddenly and unexpectedly overnight into Thursday.

Lecce had set up camp in Brescia ahead of their match against Atalanta. The relegation-threatened Apulian side wanted to prepare for Friday's crucial match. However, players, coaches, and officials received shocking news on Thursday. Physiotherapist Graziano Fiorita was found dead in his hotel room that morning. The 47-year-old is believed to have died in his sleep.

Fiorita was extremely popular at the Serie A club. The father of four had worked as a physiotherapist and osteopath at the storied club for more than two decades and had a particularly good rapport with the players. It was the players who became suspicious on Thursday morning when Fiorita didn't show up. When he didn't respond to calls, his hotel room was opened – and his lifeless body was found there.

Big shock in Lecce

The team immediately returned home, and the club submitted a request to the league to postpone the match against Atalanta. "We are completely shocked," Lecce wrote in a press release. "In this moment of deepest sorrow and utter disbelief, the club can only express its condolences and firmly stand by his wife Azzurra, as well as his children Carolina, Davide, Nicolò, and Riccardo, his mother Francesca, and all his relatives."