An international referee, born in Rome in 1965, he was still on the tatami in Sofia, Bulgaria to referee the young champions. Although he was taken care of immediately, nothing could be done to save him. He leaves behind his wife and a son.
The IJF President, Marius Vizer, was moved and said, "It is with great sadness that the judo family received the shocking news of the passing of Mr Francesco Soldano, a prominent international judo referee and a role model for generations of referees. His reputation in the judo community was built on years of officiating at high-level competitions, demonstrating his dedication, expertise and deep understanding of judo rules and techniques."
Domenico Falcone, President of the Italian Judo Federation, said, "The Federation loses a man of great values who has always been part of our family. Francesco was a referee, a judo man, but above all a person who has always stood out for his immense humanity. We express our deepest sympathy to the family in this moment of great sadness."
EJU President and IJF Vice President Dr Laszlo Toth said, "We were heartbroken by the terrible news, an irreplaceable loss for the European judo family. Keeping his memory forever alive, I will initiate that the Italian Judo Federation declares one of the European Judo Tour tournaments in Italy as his memorial event."
Mr Vizer added, "On behalf of the international judo family, I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Mr Soldano's family and friends, to the Italian Judo Federation, as well as to the greater judo family. Our thoughts accompany you during these trying moments."