Atalanta teenager Andrea Rinaldi dies after aneurysm

Andrea Rinaldi, a midfielder with Serie A club Atalanta, has died after an aneurysm. He was 19.

Rinaldi was part of the youth setup with Atalanta but had been spending this season on loan at Serie D side Legnano, which confirmed the cause of his death on Friday.

“Andrea fought for three days after the illness that hit him,” Legnano said in a statement. “An aneurysm snatched him out of life in the prime of his life, with a life ahead and with a career that promised bright goals. A sudden and shocking tragedy, impossible even to imagine.”

Rinaldi had been with Atalanta since the age of 13.

“Always available and positive, he knew how to make himself well-liked by everyone,” the club said. “Just as on the pitch you were always the last to surrender, this time too you fought with all your might not to fly away too soon.

“But that kind smile of yours will always remain alive in the hearts of those who have had the good fortune to meet you.”

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