Stefano Borgonovo-RIP

[Nerik]

European football mourns Stefano Borgonovo

 

Published: Thursday 27 June 2013, 22.04CET

"Stefano Borgonovo was and will remain an example for us all," said UEFA President Michel Platini of the former AC Milan and ACF Fiorentina forward who has passed away aged 49.

 

 

Stefano Borgonovo bore his illness with great courage, and is pictured here with friend Paolo Maldini

 

European football is mourning the death of former AC Milan and ACF Fiorentina striker Stefano Borgonovo at the age of 49 following a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

 

Borgonovo was diagnosed with ALS, a severe neurological condition that causes the progressive loss of all muscle function, at the age of 42. The Stefano Borgonovo Foundation was subsequently set up by the former Italian international, his wife Chantal and eldest daughter Alessandra on 13 December 2008 with the goal of helping the 350,000 ALS sufferers worldwide.

 

The UEFA Monaco Charity Award recognised the work of the foundation with the presentation of a €1m cheque in support of its research last year.

 

"Stefano Borgonovo was and will remain an example for us all," said UEFA President Michel Platini. "His courage, his joy for life and his love of football – all features which he maintained during his long and brave battle against this terrible illness – provide an important lesson for us all.

 

"On behalf of all of the European football family, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the Borgonovo family, and our thoughts are with his wife, Chantal, and their four children at this sad time."

 

Borgonovo, who started his career with Como Calcio in 1981, moved to Milan five years later before a successful loan stint at Fiorentina, during which he scored 14 goals in 30 Serie A outings.

 

A member of the Rossoneri's European Champion Clubs' Cup-winning squad in 1989/90, he left for Fiorentina on a permanent basis the following season and finished his career with spells at Pescara Calcio, Udinese Calcio and Brescia Calcio before retiring in 1995.

 

Borgonovo won three caps for Italy after making his debut in a 1-0 friendly victory against Denmark in 1989.

 

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[Leo No.8]

Really sad that RIP Stefano.

 

Such a terrible, terrible illness. Steve Gleason who used to play for the New Orleans Saints in the NFL has it too, its very rare (especially under 50) but I guess that one in a million will take in a sportsperson at some point. In fact its also called Lou Gehrig's disease after a famous baseball player who had it in the states.

 

Gehrig was apparently a pretty amazing guy himself - he had played every game for the Yankees for 14 years but had to quit when he started deteriorating because of the illness at 36. It got to the point when a guy who used to smash it out of the park was still timing his hits perfectly but the ball went nowhere near as far.

 

By all accounts he bore his misfortunate with a great nobility and made a famous speech when he called himself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. Its hard to imagine what it would feel like to just lose all your physical functions, but have your mind entirely intact and completely aware of what it happening to you.

 

Terrible too for the families to watch the person they love deteriorate entirely to the point where they can't do anything at all.

Edited June 28, 2013 by Leo No.8

[Nerik]

Indeed. Borgonovo was bed-ridden for the last few years and could not even talk anymore. He communicated by focussing on a screen and spelling out words on it. The computer would then "speak" what he wrote.

[Stevie H]

friend of mine finally passed away last week after four years of battling with ALS. he always said that when he couldn't wipe his own a*** he'd just end it, but he ended up keeping going for a year or so after that somewhat to his wife's dismay. finished up in a wheelchair with no motor functions left other than being able to blow down a tube to operate a computer and raise alerts to people etc. then the ALS decided it would shut down his lungs for good measure and have done with it. it's a f***ing appalling illness and i wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy let alone someone who has been active or athletic their whole lives.

[Leo No.8]

friend of mine finally passed away last week after four years of battling with ALS. he always said that when he couldn't wipe his own a*** he'd just end it, but he ended up keeping going for a year or so after that somewhat to his wife's dismay. finished up in a wheelchair with no motor functions left other than being able to blow down a tube to operate a computer and raise alerts to people etc. then the ALS decided it would shut down his lungs for good measure and have done with it. it's a f***ing appalling illness and i wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy let alone someone who has been active or athletic their whole lives.

 

Blimey Stevie that's awful, so sorry to hear that.

[Snookie]

friend of mine finally passed away last week after four years of battling with ALS. he always said that when he couldn't wipe his own a*** he'd just end it, but he ended up keeping going for a year or so after that somewhat to his wife's dismay. finished up in a wheelchair with no motor functions left other than being able to blow down a tube to operate a computer and raise alerts to people etc. then the ALS decided it would shut down his lungs for good measure and have done with it. it's a f***ing appalling illness and i wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy let alone someone who has been active or athletic their whole lives.

 

Jesus, that is just awful. So sorry to hear about you friend. RIP.

[matty]

RIP Borgonovo and Steve's mate. Horrible stuff, that.

[Sion]

friend of mine finally passed away last week after four years of battling with ALS. he always said that when he couldn't wipe his own a*** he'd just end it, but he ended up keeping going for a year or so after that somewhat to his wife's dismay. finished up in a wheelchair with no motor functions left other than being able to blow down a tube to operate a computer and raise alerts to people etc. then the ALS decided it would shut down his lungs for good measure and have done with it. it's a f***ing appalling illness and i wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy let alone someone who has been active or athletic their whole lives.

Terrible that Ste. Sorry to hear.

[Rory Fitzgerald]

friend of mine finally passed away last week after four years of battling with ALS. he always said that when he couldn't wipe his own a*** he'd just end it, but he ended up keeping going for a year or so after that somewhat to his wife's dismay. finished up in a wheelchair with no motor functions left other than being able to blow down a tube to operate a computer and raise alerts to people etc. then the ALS decided it would shut down his lungs for good measure and have done with it. it's a f***ing appalling illness and i wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy let alone someone who has been active or athletic their whole lives.

 

Sorry to hear that Steve, its a horrific disease. My uncle passed away from it 4yrs ago and my aunt (his sister) also has it now and is in a bad way. It shuts down everything before killing you. Its painful to watch someone slowly degrade over time.