It's been one year since that surreal Sunday. One year since the shocking discovery that—instead of revealing team news for the match away to Udinese—Fiorentina announced their captain Davide Astori had died in his sleep. 

It was the kind of event that is difficult for a human being to comprehend, and those who were present at the Là di Moret hotel in Udine would never have imagined that the reason why Astori failed to show for breakfast that morning was that he had passed away during the night. 

The events that followed must’ve passed like a blur to his grief-stricken teammates. During a hastily arranged funeral, Fiorentina supporters had packed-out Piazza Santa Croce in order to pay their respects, seldom able to believe that the wooden box that was carried out of the church contained their fallen captain. 

A grieving Stefano Pioli stood strong for his players while they pinned their own tributes to the wall of condolences left by supporters outside the stadium, their raw emotion on display for the world to see. This young squad were back on the pitch just one week after the hammer blow had hit them, the ethereal atmosphere in the game versus Benevento completely incongruous with a regular match of football.

There was no denying that Davide was present that day, whether that be in the hearts and minds of all who gathered to remember him, or in the way that Vitor Hugo, his replacement in the side, made a superhuman leap to score the only goal of the game. As the entire team fell to the ground in sheer emotional exhaustion at the final whistle, it became apparent that they had given everything they possessed, at a time when so many would have crumbled. 

“I had thought about leaving Fiorentina,” confessed Pioli as he looked back upon those difficult days in a recent interview with Sky Italia. “But then I thought about Davide's aim, to build a new path for the team with serenity and determination. It’s the same determination that I see in his teammates and that gives me the strength to continue.”

So many who knew Astori have offered their heartfelt tributes to the kind of man that he was, so much so that there are simply too many to name them all. Yet the message remains the same. This was a truly special human being, one that was lost too soon, but his presence lives on amongst us all. It’s true that Fiorentina as a club were changed irrevocably on March 4, 2018, but the supporters have the same determination as the players to ensure that his legacy continues to live on. 

One year later, the power of his memory was so strong that it even united supporters inside the Stadio Olimpico during the Derby della Capitale on Saturday evening as fans, players and officials from both A.S. Roma and Lazio came together in applause during the 13th minute of the match. This, and the other impeccably observed tributes across Italy this weekend, reminded us of the heartache felt during this last 12 months, but also that the captain is alive in the minds of so many. 

When the most intense, hate filled Derby in Italy can stop like THAT, it says all we need to know about DAVIDE ASTORI...Not just the player, the man.

— Vijay Rahaman (@TriniSportsGuy) March 2, 2019

“For us, Davide is not a memory that fades or is rekindled according to circumstances, simply because Davide is not a memory: Davide is a presence,” read an open letter published by his parents to mark the anniversary of his passing. “Davide is close to us every moment. We see him in our beautiful granddaughter Vittoria, a small miracle that helps us find the courage to fight against sadness every day.”

No parent ever imagines that they will outlive their child. For the sake of Anna and Renato Astori, Fiorentina must go forward in the way that they suggest, with positivity and gratitude for the many gifts he gave during his short life. 

Fortunately, the Viola supporters know how to do this in the very best of ways. On the day before their Coppa Italia semifinal with Atalanta, 3,000 fans armed with flares and flags created the most incredible atmosphere at an open training session hosted by the club in order to give the players their utmost support.

@FloFC_ pic.twitter.com/Y1lAi8uvTE

— Chloe Beresford (@ChloeJBeresford) February 26, 2019

The next day, 15,000 purple flags emblazoned with “Astori 13” waved in celebration of the captain along with a huge banner in the Curva Fiesole which read “DA13” next to symbols of the four historic quarters of the city, an oversized version of the special captain’s armband that has been worn since Astori passed away. The tears had been wiped away and gone were any feelings of melancholy as that tribute was made, as supporters gave the team the best possible reason to go forward and win the Coppa Italia in his name. 

None seemed to have heeded that message more than 21-year-old Federico Chiesa, a player who had been exposed to such a shocking event at an incredibly young age. The injury to German Pezzella had meant he was the stand-in captain during that match, and he took it upon his youthful shoulders to put in a simply brilliant performance. 

At the end of the match, he sought out Pezzella to hand the bespoke captain’s armband aloft together as the squad made the now customary salute to the supporters. Yet this wasn’t all. Once all the players had disappeared back into the dressing rooms, Chiesa emerged once again to make an impassioned final round of applause to those who had so faithfully gave the team strength, a gesture that demonstrated not only a true level of maturity but one of belonging, that he was one of them.

In Chiesa’s determination to make something of his very obvious talent, and indeed the resolute reaction of the entire club during the past 365 days, there is a message here for us all. Astori showed kindness, leadership and—in the words of Gianluigi Buffon—“altruism, elegance, politeness and respect.” If this tragic death can bring out a little bit more of these qualities in the many that admired him, his relatives can continue to feel comforted that his infectious spirit truly lives on.

Fiorentina paid a special tribute to their fallen captain on Monday morning, the words “You have shown us the way. You are always with us,” above a picture of Davide Astori. There really is nothing more to say.

Chloe Beresford specializes in Serie A for a number of outlets and can be found on Twitter and on Facebook via her page CalcioByChloe.