Oasis fan dies in Edinburgh hotel room hours before Murrayfield show
An Oasis fan who travelled from his hometown in Italy to see the band play at Murrayfield died in his hotel room just hours before the show.
Alessandro Croce tragically died on Saturday after falling unwell before the second of three sold-out Oasis shows at the home of Scottish rugby, as reported in The Scottish Sun.
The 30-year-old from Teramo reportedly died after collapsing at his accommodation hours before the show at Murrayfield Stadium.
Tributes have poured in for the dentist and amateur basketball player. His local team Basketball Teramo said it is "shocked" by his sudden passing.
A statement from the club read: "Basketball Teramo mourns the demise of Alessandro Croce. The entire Teramo Basketball community is literally shocked and grips with deep and inconceivable sorrow for the sudden and untimely demise of our beloved athlete Alessandro, at the age of 30.”
Reports from Italy suggest that he had been getting ready to attend the Saturday concert at Murrayfield when he suddenly took ill. Desperate attempts were made to resuscitate him by friends and paramedics, however Alessandro sadly died at the scene.
Alessandro’s former university, Università degli Studi "Gabriele d'Annunzio”, also paid tribute to him.
Posting on Facebook, they said: “Condolences from the Academic Community for the disappearance of major Alessandro Croce. The Rector and the entire academic community of the University of "Gabriele d'Annunzio" express their deep sorrow for the premature demise of the major Alessandro Croce.
“In this very sad moment, the Ateneo is holding its family, sending their deepest condolences and showing its closeness.”
The mayor of Bellante, Giovanni Melchiorre, wrote: "The sudden demise of Alessandro Croce, young Teraman and valuable basketball player of Monstars Bellante, leaves us stunned and saddens us.
"Thirty years is the right age to build and consolidate, and death should not be considered among the possible outcomes of the life experience lived up to then.
"I just like to think that Alessandro was exactly where he wanted to be, and he lived his fragility just like every time on the basketball court, accepting the challenge and fighting."
Local politician, Gianguido D'Alberto, wrote: "Our town is deeply shaken by the passing of Alessandro Croce, a young life broken too soon.
"On behalf of myself and the Municipal Administration I express my deepest condolences to father Paolo, mother Paola, sister Giulia and the whole family, expressing the closeness and embrace of the entire Teraman community at this moment of immense pain."
More than 200,000 Oasis fans poured into Murrayfield Stadium to watch the band perform three sold out shows last Friday, Saturday and Tuesday, with hundreds more gathering outside each night to listen to the greatest hits set as part of the Oasis Live 25 reunion tour, with the warring Gallagher brothers burying the hatchet to perform together for the first time in 16 years, following the band’s break-up in 2009.
Fans from all over the world came to Edinburgh to see Oasis back on Scottish soil for the first time in 16 years, following shows in Cardiff, Manchester and London, with fans arriving here from as far away as Japan, Australia and the USA. The band play Ireland this week before heading to North America, Asia, Australia and South America for more record-breaking sold out shows.