Serie A match abandoned after player collapses on pitch

The Italian league title race didn't seem so important after a player collapsed on the field during a Serie A match.

League leaders Napoli had won 1-0 at Torino earlier on Sunday and were waiting to see how their rivals would fare, especially Fiorentina and Inter Milan, who were playing each other later and were just four points behind.

But the result suddenly seemed of little importance when Fiore midfielder Edoardo Bove fell to the ground in the 16th minute of the match with the score 0-0.

The 22-year-old Italian was swiftly stretchered off to an ambulance and taken to hospital, where he is in a medically induced coma.

Fiorentina said initial tests have "ruled out acute damage to the central nervous system and the cardio-respiratory system" and that Bove will be re-evaluated in the next 24 hours.

La Viola players were distraught on the field and were comforted by staff members as well as Inter players.

Referee Daniel Doveri took the teams off the field as the game was suspended, and a little over half an hour later it was confirmed the match had been abandoned.

Bove, a product of Roma's youth system, joined Fiorentina from the Giallorossi in August on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

Napoli will end the weekend still top of a tight Serie A table after Scott McTominay scored the only goal of the match at Torino.

Lazio's run of seven straight wins had been brought to an end by a draw against Ludogorets in the Europa League midweek and it got worse in Emilia-Romagna as they fell to their first loss since October, 3-1 at Parma who inched four points clear of the drop zone.

Lazio, who had two goals disallowed and a penalty revoked after a VAR check, stay on 28 points along with Atalanta, Inter and Fiorentina, while Napoli moved to 32.

Juventus were also on 28 points after substitute Ante Rebic levelled in added time to snatch a 1-1 draw for Lecce, cancelling out Andrea Cambiaso's opener.

Patrick Vieira recorded his first win as Genoa coach with a 2-0 victory at Udinese, who played almost the entire match with 10 men.

Defender Isaak Toure's match lasted just 120 seconds before he was sent off for elbowing Alessandro Zanoli in the face.