• The Italian Football Federation will observe a minute’s silence before every Serie A match in Round 35 to remember Alex Zanardi.
• The former Formula One driver and Paralympic hero died on May 1st at the age of 59, surrounded by his family.
• Zanardi lost both legs in a 2001 racing crash but later became a hand cycling champion and an inspiration to millions.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has ordered a minute’s silence at all Serie A fixtures this weekend. The tribute marks the death of Alex Zanardi, one of Italy’s most admired sports figures.

Zanardi passed away on Friday, May 1st, at the age of 59. His family shared the sad news in a statement on Saturday morning. They explained that he died peacefully with his loved ones beside him. The family also asked for privacy during this difficult time.

The Italian racing legend first made his name in motor sport. He competed in Formula One between 1991 and 1994, and again in 1999. However, a terrible crash during a CART race in 2001 changed his life forever. Doctors had to remove both of his legs after the accident.

Despite this tragedy, Zanardi refused to quit sports. He returned to racing in cars fitted with special controls. Later, he switched to hand cycling and won multiple gold medals at the Paralympic Games. His courage made him a national hero in Italy.

In 2020, Zanardi suffered another serious crash while taking part in a national hand cycling road race. He spent 18 months in hospital with severe injuries. Sadly, he never fully recovered from this second accident.

Across Italy, football clubs and managers have shared messages of condolence on social media. Many also spoke about his legacy during press conferences on Saturday. The minute’s silence before each Week 35 clash will give players and fans a chance to say goodbye to a true champion.

• Udinese defeated Torino 2-0 to keep their hopes of a top-ten finish alive.
• Kingsley Ehizibue and Thomas Kristensen scored the goals for the home side.
• Both clubs were missing several key players because of injury problems.

Udinese moved closer to a top-ten position in Serie A after beating Torino 2-0 at their home stadium. The victory came despite both teams facing serious injury problems before the match.

The hosts entered the game without several important players. Keinan Davis, Jesper Karlstrom, Jordan Zemura, Alessandro Zanoli and Nicolò Bertola were all unavailable after the team’s exciting 3-3 draw with Lazio. Torino also had a long list of absentees. They were missing Duvan Zapata, Che Adams, Marcus Pedersen, Tino Anjorin, Zakaria Aboukhlal and Ardian Ismajli following their 2-2 draw with league leaders Inter.

Before the match started, Udinese players wore a special shirt. The jersey remembered the 50th anniversary of a terrible earthquake in the Friuli region that killed more than 1,000 people. All matches across Italy this weekend also held a minute of silence. This was to honour Alex Zanardi, the famous Formula 1 and Paralympic star.

The game started with early chances for both sides. Giovanni Simeone nearly scored for the visitors when he met a cross from Valentino Lazaro, but Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye made a brilliant save from close range. Torino’s Gvidas Gineitis also missed a good opportunity from a corner kick.

Udinese had their first real chance when Christian Kabasele’s shot from a free kick went wide after a deflection. The opening goal came in a strange way just before half-time. Saul Coco made a mistake with a throw-in, and Oumar Solet stole the ball. Jurgen Ekkelenkamp passed the ball across the face of the goal from the left side. Rafa Obrador almost scored an own goal, but Kingsley Ehizibue was behind him to tap the ball into the net in the first minute of added time.

The second goal came six minutes after the restart. Thomas Kristensen rose highest at the near post to head home a corner taken by Lennon Miller from six yards out. The Torino defence gave him too much space to attack the ball.

Torino could not create any clear chances in the second half. They looked tired and disappointed with their performance. Nicolò Zaniolo had a difficult afternoon. He had a goal disallowed for offside earlier in the match after Adam Buksa hit the post. In the second half, he ran half the length of the pitch but saw his shot blocked. He also asked for a penalty but the referee said no, and he had another effort saved easily by goalkeeper Alberto Paleari.

The result means Udinese continue their push for a place in the top half of the table, while Torino will need to recover quickly from this defeat.