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Francesco Guerrieri

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Bove scores his first goal for Watford a month after returning to action

E. Bove
Watford
Watford vs Wrexham
Championship

31 days after returning to action, and 471 days since falling ill, the former Roma and Fiorentina player scored his first goal in England in the 3-1 win over Wrexham

On the day of the Champions League round of 16 second legs, the eyes (and hearts) of some Italian fans – whose teams were not competing in Europe – turned to the Championship, the English second tier, where two postponed matches from matchday 36 were being played tonight. One of the two fixtures was Watford v Wrexham, with former Fiorentina and Roma player Edoardo Bove on the home bench. Coming on in the closing stages of the match, the midfielder, born in 2002, scored his first English goal in stoppage time, sealing a 3-1 victory for his side. And a banner appeared in the stands: “Even though you left Roma, you’re not alone.” Then, at the end of the match, alone in the centre of the pitch, he bent his knees and, in his mind, retraced everything he had gone through to reach that goal. 

  • BOVE'S GOAL

    471 days on from that Fiorentina v Inter match – a game that will be remembered for Edoardo’s collapse and the moments of fear that followed – Bove has rediscovered the thrill of scoring a goal. The joy, the enthusiasm. The embrace of the fans, whom the player sought out by running towards the stand immediately after the goal. The move began with a great run by Mamadou Doumbia down the right flank; the player struck the ball with his right foot from near the byline, the ball hit the crossbar and went out of the penalty area; Marc Ola tried his luck with a powerful left-footed shot but hit the crossbar again, so the ball fell to Bove, who, just a few yards from goal, scored his first goal for Watford.

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  • BOVE CAN NO LONGER PLAY IN ITALY

    Due to a rule in the regulations, Bove can no longer play in Italy in any official competition: on 1 December 2024, the player collapsed on the pitch during the league match between Fiorentina and Inter; subsequent tests revealed a malignant ventricular arrhythmia known as ‘torsades de pointes’, as a result of which he had a subcutaneous defibrillator fitted, meaning he will no longer be able to take to the pitch in any official Italian league, nor even for the national team. A situation similar to that of Christian Eriksen, and just like the Danish midfielder, Bove has also moved to England.


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