Bove ‘had hoped it would be easier’ to find space at Watford after cardiac arrest | OneFootball

Edoardo Bove sent a mixed message to Watford after returning to the field in the wake of his cardiac arrest. ‘I cannot deny I hoped it would be easier to find space.’

The former Roma midfielder was on loan at Fiorentina when he collapsed during a Serie A match against Inter in December 2024.

epa11752149 Players and staff block sight onto Fiorentina’s Edoardo Bove getting medical attention during the Italian Serie A soccer match between ACF Fiorentina and Inter Milan, in Florence, Italy, 01 December 2024. The match was abandoned after Fiorentina’s Edoardo Bove suffered a serious injury 16 minutes into the game. EPA-EFE/CLAUDIO GIOVANNINI

He was revived on the pitch and rushed to a local hospital, where an implanted defibrillator was provided to deal with the undiagnosed heart condition.

Italian rules ban athletes from having these implants, so Bove had to terminate his contract by mutual consent and go abroad, signing for Watford in January 2026.

Bove made 11 Championship appearances, scoring one goal, but only two were in the starting XI.

Bove message from Watford

WATFORD, ENGLAND – APRIL 18: Edoardo Bove of Watford in action during the Sky Bet Championship match between Watford and Sheffield United at Vicarage Road on April 18, 2026 in Watford, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

“After more than a year away from the field, these four months meant a lot,” wrote Bove on Instagram.

“I am happy to have started again and to put football back at the centre of my life. I thank all those who made that possible.

“At the same time, I cannot deny I had hoped it would be easier to find space, the match tempo, and sensations of a real game.

“However, this too is football: wanting to return isn’t enough, you must earn it all back, day by day.

“I am ready, the next season has already started for me.”

It remains to be seen if that will be with Watford, because while the contract runs to June 2031, there is reportedly a clause allowing them to break it off earlier.

As long as he has the implant, then he cannot play his football in Italy.