Tragic Delay in Medical Response: A Young Footballer's Untimely Death

Doctors and ambulance delayed. And no one who knew how to use the defibrillator. These are serious accusations from the father of Mattia Giani, the 26-year-old footballer of Castelfiorentino United who suffered an illness during a match with Lanciotto in Campi Bisenzio last Sunday and then died Monday morning at the Careggi hospital in Florence. The prosecution has opened a file hypothesizing manslaughter, but at the moment there are no people registered in the list of suspects. Mattia Giani, the chilling message from his girlfriend Sofia: "We were at our best, I will love you forever." The Investigations The prosecutor Giuseppe Ledda will arrange the autopsy, which will take place tomorrow or next Friday, to make clearer the circumstances of the death and in view of this step it is not excluded that he issues notices of guarantee. The Parents' Anger But in the meantime, the parents attack on the timing and on possible negligence in the rescue: "There was neither the ambulance nor a doctor," claims Mattia's father, Sandro Giani, "only the team's masseurs. The defibrillator arrived later but no one knew how to use it, it was as if it wasn't there. Only when the second ambulance with the doctor arrived, all the equipment was brought out. The defibrillator was used, but by then it was too late." The parents announce their intention to proceed legally "not so much to lash out at the company or the 118" but "to bring what happened to our son to the forefront and because it does not happen to other young people in the future." If similar episodes were to happen again, Giani added, who was in the stands of the stadium with his wife Debora and saw the 26-year-old collapse on the field, "we want the person to be saved immediately. Now we are just happy about this. It will not bring our Mattia back to life but at least it will be useful to someone else." The carabinieri, at the request of the Florence prosecutor's office, heard Mattia's parents as persons informed about the facts and at the moment no formal complaint has been filed in the prosecutor's office. The soldiers, following the magistrates' instructions, also acquired the medical reports from the Careggi hospital and, through the acquisition of phone records, will verify the timing of the arrival of the rescue services at the sports field. The football clubs, meanwhile, are keeping silent. Lanciotto is on a press silence and Castelfiorentino, Mattia's team, does not want to comment on the investigation. Because beyond the desire to clarify what happened, it is above all a moment of pain for the relatives and friends of the 26-year-old, including his footballer brother Elia Giani who plays in Legnano and his brother-in-law Gianluca Mancini of Roma. Mattia's Girlfriend Poignant words entrusted to social media by Sofia, Mattia's girlfriend: "My love, thank you for taking care of me and making me understand true love. You are and will always be the love of my life." The two had moved to San Miniato (Pisa) a few days ago, a dream shattered at the outset: "I will love you forever and to infinity - reads the post -. You are the purest person I have ever known and you have always promised me that you would never leave me alone. Please, protect me forever and give me all the strength in the world from up there. A kiss as big as the universe." For FI deputy Chiara Tenerini "the tragic death of the young footballer deserves every investigation, also in light of the testimonies that emerge regarding what happened on the field on that April 14. It is necessary to ascertain the truth about the rescues, the alleged delays of the ambulances, the defibrillator, and the presence or absence of doctors." The regional Figc of Tuscany has decided to postpone the matches of the 29th day of the 'A' group of the amateur Excellence championship, scheduled for Sunday, April 21. They will be played the following Sunday, April 28.