Andrea Rinaldi (23 June 2000 – 11 May 2020) was an Italian footballer. Rinaldi started his youth career in Cermenate and in

Monza Monza (, ; lmo, label=Lombard language, Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po River, Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capit ...

after passing five years at Atalanta. He died in May 2020 from an aneurysm after being loaned to Imolese, Mezzolara and Legnano.

Club career

Rinaldi started his career in a Cermenate club and at

's youth set-up. In 2013, he joined Atalanta's youth sector, for whom he played for the ''Giovanissimi Regionali A'', ''Allievi'' and ''Primavera'' squads always under

Massimo Brambilla Massimo Brambilla (born 4 March 1973) is an Italian professional football coach and former player who is the head coach of club Juventus Next Gen. As a player, he played as an attacking midfielder. Club career Brambilla grew up in the footb ...

's management. For the U17s, he won the national league (in which he scored a goal in the final) and the supercup. After making only two appearances with Atalanta Primavera in the 2017–18 season, in July 2018, Imolese announced that Atalanta had loaned him to them. In Serie C, he only made an eight-minute appearance against Monza on 25 November 2018. He also had loan spells to Serie D side Mezzolara and to

Legnano Legnano (; or ''Lignàn'') is an Italian town and ''comune'' in the north-westernmost part of the Metropolitan City of Milan, Province of Milan, about from central Milan. With 60,259, it is the thirteenth-most populous township in Lombardy. Le ...

, making 13 league appearances. Rinaldi had made 23 league appearances and scored one goal.

International career

While playing for the youth of Atalanta, he received a call up for the Italy U18

Death

On 8 May 2020, Rinaldi suffered a ruptured aneurysm while training in his house in Cermenate. He was immediately rushed to the hospital in Varese to try to save him, but on the morning of 11 May, his heart stopped beating. His funeral was held three days later in Stadio Cermenate at 15:30. Hundreds went to see the funeral, Legnano ultimately retired the number 8 jersey (the number he had worn) and gave it to his family.

Style of play

Posthumously, he was described by Sky Sport Italy as "a quick and dynamic midfielder with extraordinary athletic ability and speed, the classic modern midfielder, a nightmare for opposing midfielders and for defences when he inserted himself".

Career statistics

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rinaldi, Andrea 2000 births 2020 deaths People from Carate Brianza Italian men's footballers Men's association football midfielders AC Monza players Atalanta BC players Imolese Calcio 1919 players AC Legnano players Serie C players Serie D players ASD Mezzolara players Deaths from intracranial aneurysm Neurological disease deaths in Lombardy Footballers from Lombardy