Former footballer dies aged 46 after going for lie down feeling unwell | Football | Sport

A former footballer and goalkeeping coach tragically passed away in his sleep at the age of 46, after informing his wife and children that he was feeling unwell. Diego Ruspantini spent his last evening having dinner with his wife and two children on Sunday (January 25), before heading to bed because he felt poorly. Later that night, his wife discovered him unconscious in their bedroom.

By the time paramedics arrived, Ruspantini, affectionately known as Ruspa to his friends, had sadly passed away. Emergency services described his sudden death in Porto Recanati, located in Italy’s Marche region, as natural, resulting from a sudden illness. A native of Loreto, Ruspantini was a prominent figure in the Marche amateur football scene.

He began his football career with Porto Recanati in the 1996-97 season. Throughout his goalkeeping career, he played across the fourth to seventh tiers of the Italian league system, including a stint with Monturanese in Serie D during the 2003-04 season.

In an extraordinary feat, he scored a goal for Vis Civitanova in the seventh-tier Prima Categoria during the 2001-02 season.

His final appearance was for Camerano in the Eccellenza league in the 2016-17 season, although he remained registered with the club until the 2019-20 season in the Promozione league. After hanging up his boots, he became a goalkeeping coach, working at Ancona and Adriatica Portorecanati.

Diego operated a local goalkeeping academy, Academy United DC, which honoured him with the words: “You wanted this academy with determination, you believed in it, and you made it a reality – not without sacrifice.

“If today we are what we are, it is thanks to you. We will carry forward your values: humility, respect, sacrifice, tenacity, trust. You will always be in our hearts.”

After a post-mortem examination was conducted, the Macerata prosecutor’s office requested additional tests on his body to determine the cause of death. As a result, his funeral has been delayed.

Known as a “gentle giant” amongst his neighbours, Ruspantini served as a managing agent for a residential block and spent his time away from football fishing for clams from his boat.

Porto Recanati mayor Andrea Michelini said: “He was a young man who always wore a smile and radiated extraordinary energy. A friend to everyone, he always had a kind word for all.

“A bright, cheerful soul, devoted to sport and full of remarkable positivity, his tragically short life was taken far too soon – he lived every moment to the fullest.”