Why Bove needed special permit to sit on Fiorentina bench

Edoardo Bove could not hold back tears as he sat on the Fiorentina bench for the first time since his medical emergency, but he needed a special permit even to do that.

The midfielder collapsed on the pitch of the Stadio Franchi during the Serie A match with Inter on December 1 and was rushed out by ambulance to the local hospital.

This was his first time back in the arena since that moment, and he had been expected to watch from the stands as his teammates faced Udinese.

However, Bove took his seat on the Fiorentina bench next to coach Raffaele Palladino.

Bove welcomed back to Fiorentina bench

This is something he should not have been able to do considering he was fitted with an implanted defibrillator, meaning under the Italian rules he cannot participate in any sporting activity.

According to the Corriere dello Sport, the midfielder needed to receive special dispensation from the Lega Serie A to sit on the bench and be with his teammates in the locker room.

If Bove wishes to continue his playing career, he must either remove the defibrillator or go abroad, where the rules are less strict.

This is also why Christian Eriksen had to leave Inter after his medical emergency in the summer of 2021.