Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove in medically induced coma after collapsing in Italian soccer game

FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove is in a medically induced coma after collapsing on the field during his team’s Serie A match at home to Inter Milan on Sunday, with the game abandoned shortly afterward.

Bove's teammates immediately called for medical help and both sets of players surrounded the 22-year-old while he was being treated before he was swiftly stretchered off to an ambulance near the pitch and taken to Careggi Hospital in Florence.

“Fiorentina and the Careggi University Hospital announce that the footballer Edoardo Bove ... is currently under pharmacological sedation and hospitalized in intensive care,” Fiorentina said in a statement. "The first cardiological and neurological tests performed have ruled out acute damage to the central nervous system and the cardio-respiratory system. Edoardo Bove will be re-evaluated in the next 24 hours.”

Sky Italia reported that the player regained consciousness while he was in the ambulance and was managing to breathe on his own.

Bove’s parents and his girlfriend have arrived at the hospital along with Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino and most of his teammates, as well as club directors and the city's mayor.

Fiorentina fans have also gathered outside the hospital and displayed a banner with the words: “Forza Edoardo, Florence is with you.”

Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso echoed that sentiment and the club said he and his family are in constant contact from the United States to support Bove and his family.

“Forza Edoardo, we’re with you,” Commisso said. “You’re a strong boy with a great character.”

More messages of support flooded in on social media from players and clubs. Inter midfielder Federico Dimarco, who was on the field at the time, wrote “Forza Edo, we are all with you and your family.”

The incident happened in the 16th minute of the match, with play stopped following a VAR check. Bove apparently bent down to tie the laces on his boot before he suddenly dropped to the ground.

Fiorentina players were distraught on the field and were comforted by staff members as well as Inter players. Several were openly sobbing before the teams filed off the field.

The Italian league match was immediately halted, before being abandoned. The score at the time of Bove's collapse was 0-0.

Many at Fiorentina — as well as the fans — remember former captain Davide Astori, who was found dead in his hotel room in March 2018 before a match in Udine.

It is the second incident this year of a player collapsing during a Serie A match. It happened to Roma defender Evan Ndicka during his team's match at Udinese in April.

Bove is a product of the Roma youth academy and joined Fiorentina on loan in the offseason with the option to make the move permanent.

Romelu Lukaku, who spent last season at Roma with Bove, posted a photo of the pair during a match and added the caption: “I love you lil bro. We are all with you.”

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Fiorentina's Edoardo Bove, injured, is transported to a waiting ambulance during the Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Inter at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy, Sunday Dec. 1, 2024. The match was suspended and finally postponed as the injures appeared to be serious. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

Emotional players comfort each others as Fiorentina's Edoardo Bove, injured, is taken to hospital during the Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Inter at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy, Sunday Dec. 1, 2024. The match was suspended and finally postponed. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

An ambulance enters the field as Fiorentina's Edoardo Bove, injured, is surrounded by players during the Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Inter at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy, Sunday Dec. 1, 2024. The match was suspended and finally postponed as the injures appeared to be serious. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

An ambulance enters the field as Fiorentina's Edoardo Bove, injured, is surrounded by players during the Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Inter at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy, Sunday Dec. 1, 2024. The match was suspended and finally postponed as the injures appeared to be serious. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

Emotional players comfort each other as Fiorentina's Edoardo Bove, injured, is taken to hospital during the Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Inter at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy, Sunday Dec. 1, 2024. The match was suspended and finally postponed. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

Fiorentina's Edoardo Bove, injured, is surrounded by players during the Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Inter at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy, Sunday Dec. 1, 2024 (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new humanitarian organization that has U.S. backing to take over aid delivery to starving civilians in Gaza said Wednesday that it expects to begin operations before the end of the month — after what it describes as key agreements from Israeli officials.

A statement from the group, called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, identified several U.S. military veterans, former humanitarian coordinators and security contractors that it said would lead the delivery effort. Many in the aid community believe it is meant to supplant the distribution system now run by the U.N. and other international aid agencies.

The foundation failed to address much of the criticism and unanswered questions that the international community has about the group, including who would fund the work and how much involvement the U.S., Israel or any other government or military would have in controlling life-saving aid for Palestinian civilians.

In an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press, Tom Fletcher, the U.N. humanitarian chief, said the U.S.-backed proposal is “far from being able to meet” the conditions of humanitarian law.

“That’s why we need to stick to the better plan, our plan A, which is just let us in. We can make sure this aid doesn’t get anywhere near Hamas,” Fletcher said, referencing Israeli accusations that the militant group is diverting supplies. “We have our procedures. We care more than anyone about making sure that it gets to the children and civilians and women who need it most.”

Israel has blocked food, fuel, medicine and all other supplies from entering Gaza for weeks, worsening a humanitarian crisis for 2.3 million Palestinians. Israel says the blockade aims to pressure Hamas to release the hostages it still holds and that it won’t allow aid back in until a system is in place that gives it control over distribution.

The U.N. and many aid groups have rejected Israel’s efforts to control aid distribution, saying it would be all but impossible for a new startup group to meet the humanitarian needs of Gaza civilians after 19 months of food shortages and war.

Aid groups say they also fear the attempt would violate humanitarian principles of operating independently with neutrality and impartiality.

In Wednesday's statement, foundation executive director Jake Wood, a U.S. military veteran and co-founder of an existing disaster relief group called Team Rubicon, said the commitment to starting operations within weeks follows discussions with Israeli officials.

Wood indicated Israelis had agreed to allow the foundation to deliver aid through existing systems in Gaza temporarily while the group builds new distribution sites that Israel has demanded for aid.

Israelis also have agreed to allow more sites to be constructed to allow aid distribution in all of Gaza, and look for ways to get aid to those too malnourished, maimed by fighting, too old or too young to travel long distances to one of the aid sides, the foundation's statement said.

The foundation was in the “final stages” of gathering enough aid to serve 300 million meals in the first 90 days of operation, Wood wrote.

Israel’s mission to the United Nations didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment about the foundation’s statement.

Amiri reported from the United Nations.

Palestinians evacuate after the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning for several schools and a hospital in Gaza City's Rimal neighborhood, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians evacuate after the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning for several schools and a hospital in Gaza City's Rimal neighborhood, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)