PESSOTTO IN POSSIBLE SUICIDE BID
Italy's players have paid tribute to Juventus' new team manager Gianluca Pessotto after he was rushed to hospital following a fall from a window at the club's headquarters in Turin.
The 35-year-old former Juventus player fell from the top floor of the building, hitting two parked cars before landing on the ground.
He has sustained multiple fractures, but is not believed to be in a life-threatening condition.
Reports say Pessotto threw himself off the balcony on the second floor while holding a rosary in his hands. Police are investigating it as a possible suicide attempt.
The Italy squad is in Germany preparing for a World Cup quarter-final match against Ukraine and defender Marco Materazzi issued a few words on behalf of the team.
"I am shocked, he is a friend of ours," Materazzi said.
"A lot of us have played with him in the national team. We saw him the other day as he had come to watch us play against the Czech Republic.
"I and the rest of my colleagues here hope that he can recover as soon as possible. We Azzurri are close to him."
Fabio Cannavaro, a former team-mate of Pessotto's at Juventus, left an Italy press conference on Tuesday afternoon after being told of the incident, describing him as "the best man in the world".
Juventus chief press officer Marco Girotto was also shocked by events, and told
www.gazzetta.it: "We don't know how this has happened. We'll see.
"Gianluca reportedly has multiple fractures but they are not life threatening."
Pessotto ended his playing career at the end of last season to take on a new role as Juve's team manager on May 27.
He began his footballing career in the AC Milan youth team before moving north of the city to join fourth division side Varese in 1989.
A move to Massese in the following year took him up a division and into the spotlight of Bologna, who gave him his Serie B bow in 1992.
After a spell with Hellas Verona, his Serie A career began with Torino in 1994 for whom he made 32 appearances before crossing the city to join Juventus.
He won six Serie A titles with the Bianconeri and one Champions League trophy in his first season.
He was also capped 22 times by the Azzurri and appeared at both the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
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