Champions League club Lazio are in mourning after Daniel Guerini, a 19-year-old who had featured for Italy at youth level, was killed in a car crash in his homeland after taking a trip to buy food with friends in his homeland.
Details of the teenager’s death are still being clarified, although Repubblica reported that Guerini had been with two friends of the same age, Tiziano Rozzi and Edoardo De Blasi, when they collided with a Mercedes A-Class driven by 67-year-old Temo Sebastiani.
The pals were said to have been taking food to Rozzi’s house for dinner, with the remains of the takeaway scattered across the road at a scene where Guerini was already dead by the time his parents arrived.
Firefighters reportedly intervened, with local police offers “trying in every way” to “comfort and reassure” Guerini’s agonized family after covering up his body two days after he had celebrated his birthday.
Ancora increduli e sconvolti dal dolore il Presidente, gli uomini e le donne della Società Sportiva Lazio si stringono attorno alla famiglia del giovane Daniel Guerini 🙏 pic.twitter.com/SX7DrK5JBT
Repubblica suggested that the situation was complicated by restrictions around hospitals in Italy as a result of the pandemic, and said that Lazio president Claudio Lotito had “taken the player to heart” and wants to help arrange his funeral.
The report also said that De Blasi was fighting for his life following the tragedy.
Italy youth international Guerini had represented SPAL, Fiorentina and Torino but had described Lazio as “my team”, describing his joy at returning to the club earlier this year.
In a statement, Champions League round of 16 side Lazio said they were “incredulous” and “shocked by pain”, pledging support for Guerini’s family.
Friend and fellow professional Gabriele Compagnucci called Guerini a “golden boy” and said his death was “inexplicable”, writing on Instagram: “I have no words – I am in pieces.
“Always smiling, always the right word at the right time. You will live forever with me – I do nothing but think of you.”
