An ex-footballer and coach has been found dead under mysterious circumstances.

Christian Jidayi was discovered around midnight on Tuesday, February 17 in a pine forest in Lido Adriano, near Ravenna, Italy. Jidayi, 38, was serving with the Provincial Police of Ravenna and had failed to report for work, prompting a search.

He would have turned 39 on 3 March. He spent 11 years in Italian football, beginning at Cesena U19 in 2005. Primarily a right-back, he finished his career with 10 goals.

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At his peak, he made five appearances for Cesena in the 2007-08 Serie B and appeared once for Novara in the 2009-10 Coppa Italia, the Italian equivalent of the FA Cup.

Jidayi was part of Novara when they competed in Serie A in 2011-12, though he did not feature in any matches. His final playing season came with Pro Patria in the 2015-16 Serie C (Group A), as reported by NeedToKnow.

He re-signed for Novara in 2016 but was released without making any appearances during that stint. He retired in 2017 after spending a year as a free agent.

Over the course of his career, Jidayi won two trophies - the 2009-10 Serie C (Group A) title and the 2009-10 Supercoppa di Serie C with Novara. The club where he made the most appearances was Forlì, during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.

The club paid tribute, offering "heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones at this time of great grief".

Jidayi also had a brief managerial career, serving as assistant manager of San Marino Calcio from 2017 to 2019, including one match as manager in 2019. After leaving football, he joined the local police and, last July, transferred to the Provincial Police of Ravenna after passing an exam.

Born in Avellino, he held both Italian and Nigerian citizenship. A father, he lived with his family in Lido Adriano. His older brother, William, is also a former professional footballer turned policeman, having played for Pro Vercelli, Sassuolo, Padova, and other clubs.

When Jidayi failed to report for duty at 1pm on Tuesday, colleagues alerted his family, who filed a missing persons report. His body was located via mobile phone tracking.

Police are investigating his death.