Italy striker Francesco Flaschi, who played more than 100 Serie A matches between 1993 and 2010, is back in the Fifth Division.

The former Fiorentina and Sampdoria striker returned to football this weekend at the age of 46, after 12 years of being suspended for taking cocaine, while he was with the Brescia team in the second division.

Wanting to end his career on his own terms, Flashi returned to playing for Cigna near his hometown of Florence, after training with the club for the past five months.

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A post shared by Francesco Flachi (@francescoflachi_official)

And Flashi, who expressed his happiness at finally returning, played 30 minutes in the 2-2 draw of "Cigna" against "Prato 2000".

And he continued - in his speech to Gazzetta dello Sport - that "this day cancels 12 years of suspension .. it is the day I was born again .. and this is evidence that I have overcome the crises I have gone through."

He explained that, "Before playing the match, I felt dizzy, and did not sleep for a week because of the tension. Now I am very happy, I want to thank everyone who made me feel as I was before: a football player."

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Before being suspended for drug use, he had made his name with Fiorentina and Sampdoria, and helped both teams promoted to the First Division, and also won the Italian Cup in 1996 with Sampdoria.

His 110 goals with Sampdoria is perhaps his most famous achievement, and only Gianluca Vialli (141 goals) and Roberto Mancini (171 goals) scored more with Sampdoria.