'I fear death, not football.' The words came from Italy striker Antonio Di Natale when asked if he were afraid to test himself at a big club after refusing a transfer from Udinese to Juventus in 2010.
This week, Di Natale (picture) was reminded of his own mortality when he attended the funeral of former teammate Piermario Morosini, who died on the field of a suspected heart attack at the age of 25 last weekend. Morosini was on loan from Udinese, playing for Livorno, when he collapsed in the Serie B match at Pescara, forcing the rest of the weekend fixtures in Italy to be cancelled.
As much as European soccer has been shocked by the premature end to a promising career, it has been uplifted in equal measure by the kindness of Di Natale, who pledged to look after Morosini's severely disabled sister. Financial help will come through the Udinese club, ensuring life-long care for the elder sibling in the absence of her brother and parents, who died a decade ago.
The 34-year-old Di Natale has been so distressed by the death of his friend that he announced that he would see through the final six matches of the season before considering retirement, adding that too much soccer was being played in Italy.
But surely the most fitting tribute to Morosini would be to extend a career that has seen more than 100 goals since his 30th birthday. Isn't it better for Di Natale to celebrate life instead of retreating into his shell with a heart filled with sorrow?
Di Natale and Morosini became close when the latter joined Udinese in 2005. While they had the so-called Bianconeri in common, their careers had followed quite different routes: midfielder Morosini had been a brilliant youth player, representing Italy at all levels from under-17 to under-21 while Di Natale was a late bloomer who did not wear the colours of his country until after his 25th birthday.
During two disappointing stints at Udinese, Morosini made only five first-team appearances in five years, and was shipped out on loan to Bologna, Reggina, Padova, Vicenza and, finally, Livorno. In the meantime, Di Natale became a household name after winning the Serie A Golden Boot for two seasons in a row.