ROME Italian Serie A club Chievo have withdrawn Jason Mayele's shirt number as a mark of respect after the striker was killed in a car accident, the club said on Monday.

The Democratic Republic of Congo international died on Saturday in an accident in Verona. The player had been on his way to join his team coach.

"At the moment it's still too soon to say all that we will do to carve Jason into our hearts," Chievo President Luca Campadelli said in Monday's **** Gazzetta dello Sport****.

"But certainly we will withdraw the number 30 shirt. It's right that it should always be associated with Jason.

"We're all dazed. It has been a massive tragedy and we need time to absorb it, even if we'll never recover."

Mayele, 26, joined Chievo from Cagliari last October and has made 10 Serie A appearances for the Verona club this season, Reuters reported.

Sunday's game against Parma was postponed and will now be played on March 13.

Mayele's death comes less than two months after Brescia defender Vittorio Mero was killed in a car crash.