Italian matches postponed after player death

Milan: The Italian football federation called off all league games this weekend after the death of Livorno midfielder Piermario Morosini.

The league announced the decision on its website on Saturday, shortly before AC Milan was due to kick off against Genoa at 6pm local time.

The 25-year-old Morosini died about an hour earlier after suffering cardiac arrest during his team's Serie B match at Pescara.

Edoardo De Blasio, a cardiologist at Pescara's Santo Spirito hospital, said the player was already dead when he arrived at the hospital.

Morosini, who was on loan from Udinese, fell to the ground in the 31st minute of the match and received urgent medical attention on the pitch.

Meanwhile, Roma general director Franco Baldini slammed the Italian Football League for failing to decide what to do about the Serie A matches that were postponed this weekend.

"We manage each time to show what we are," Baldini said on Sunday. "We are people who even in the most tragic situations, like the one that caused the championship to be suspended, cannot avoid seeming ridiculous. After more than a day and a half in frenetic telephone consultations with the clubs, the Lega Calcio (football league) is not yet capable of making a decision regarding the round which should have been played yesterday and today."

"Roma would have accepted, and will accept, whatever decision the league is able to make. The club said it was in favour of the league's proposal to let the round slide rather than to postpone it. It seems that was shared by the majority of other clubs. But, even considering all this, the league is still not able to make decisions."

The league has called an extraordinary board meeting for Monday to try and find a solution. One option is to simply cancel the 33rd round of the championship and not to reschedule the fixtures.