Two doctors who issued medical certificates declaring former Italy international footballer Davide Astori fit to play despite evidence he suffered from a heart condition prior to his death are under investigation for negligent homicide, the public prosecutor's office in Florence confirmed on Monday.
Fiorentina captain Astori was found dead in his hotel room in the northeastern city of Udine on March 4 this year ahead of a Serie A match against Udinese.
An initial post mortem suggested the 31-year-old died from bradyarrhythmia — when the heart slows so much it stops — but the causes are unclear.
The doctors, who signed the fitness certificates which gave Astori the all-clear to play, work for public bodies in Florence and Cagliari, where the defender played for eight years.
The announcement of the investigation comes after Florence-based daily La Nazione published details of two electrocardiogram tests carried out on the player in July 2016 and July 2017.
Both reportedly showed anomalies, in particular the latter, which allegedly demonstrated that the player suffered from a ventricular extrasystole, or irregular heartbeats.
The documentation published by the newspaper has been handed over to the investigators.
Former Roma and AC Milan player Astori, the father of a two-year old girl, also played 14 times for Italy over a six-year international career.
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