Football was in mourning over the weekend with the tragic passing of Fiorentina captain Davide Astori. The 31-year-old was suspected to have died from cardiac arrest, and in the wake of the news all Serie A matches were postponed.
In a press conference, PSG full back Dani Alves was questioned about Astori's passing and whether it had affected him or his team much personally:
We were not disturbed too much because we did not know him very much, I am sorry for his family. I think that Davide has done what he owed in this chaotic world and that now he is in a better world.
In the world there are thousands of kids who die because of malnutrition etc and I think the effects are different. We all have to die sooner or later because we are passing through. Maybe we are sad, but certainly not like his family.
Nice striker Mario Balotelli took umbrage with the Brazilian's take on Astori's death, scolding Alves for his comments in an Instagram livestream:
What he said wasn’t wrong, but he could’ve kept it to himself at that moment. He should’ve just passed on his condolences and that’s it, not talk rubbish. You cannot make those comments when faced with someone’s death.
He said things that had **** all to do with anything. Astori, by the way, was a good guy, polite, and I can say that because I played with him for the Nazionale.
Alves has since come out at tweeted an apology (of sorts) for offending anyone with take on Astori's death:
If that’s what Balotellinho said I wasn’t trying to offend anyone.
We live in a world where you often have to be hypocritical to be appreciated by people. Anyway, if anyone was offended then I apologise.
Se o o Balotelinho falou tá falado, não tive intenção de ofender a ninguém, vivo em mundo que temos que ser hipócrita muitas vezes para que as pessoas gostem de ti but sorry ma people.... enfim, se alguém se sentiu ofendido, desculpaaa. https://t.co/L03x0HHZ39
— Daniel Alves (@DaniAlvesD2) March 8, 2018
A cryptic message from the Brazilian and you could argue the full back is doubling down on his earlier statements.
Fiorentina have retired Astori's 13 jersey with their captain was laid to rest today in Florence. Balotelli attended the ceremony along with Marco van Basten, Inter Milan manager Luciano Spalletti, Javier Zanetti, and former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
