The devastating New Year’s Eve fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana has claimed another heartbreaking victim: 16-year-old Italian golf prodigy Matteo Rossi, whose promising career and final moments have left the sporting world and his family in profound shock.
Matteo, hailed as one of Europe’s brightest junior talents with multiple under-18 championships and a scholarship to a prestigious U.S. golf academy, was celebrating the new year with family when the blaze erupted shortly after 1:30 a.m. on January 1. Initial reports placed the death toll at around 40, with over 115 injured, many critically burned.

Haunting witness accounts describe Matteo’s final moments near an exit, overcome by thick smoke as flames spread rapidly. “He was so close to the door,” one survivor recounted tearfully. “But the smoke was too much — he collapsed just steps from safety.” His mother, Maria Rossi, was heard screaming desperately for her son amid the chaos, her cries piercing the panic as rescuers battled to reach trapped victims.
The tragedy, believed triggered by sparklers igniting flammable ceiling foam, turned a glamorous celebration into what survivors called “hell on earth.” Matteo’s father, a golf coach who had accompanied him to Switzerland for a holiday tournament, escaped with serious burns but remains hospitalised.
Matteo’s talent was undeniable: at 16, he had already won the Italian Junior Open and represented his country in European events, with scouts predicting a professional career rivaling Italy’s greats. “He was the future of Italian golf,” said national coach Luca Bianchi. “Kind, dedicated, with a swing like poetry. This loss is unbearable.”
The Rossi family, from Milan, has been inundated with tributes from the golf community. The European Tour posted: “Heartbroken at the loss of young Matteo Rossi — a shining talent gone too soon.” Messages from players like Francesco Molinari and juniors worldwide flooded social media.
As investigations continue — focusing on venue safety, capacity, and sparkler use — the image of Matteo fading near the exit has become a symbol of the tragedy’s senselessness. His mother’s cries, recounted by witnesses, echo the grief of dozens of families mourning loved ones.
Switzerland remains in national mourning, with President Guy Parmelin calling it “one of our darkest days.” Forensic teams work to identify remains amid ongoing recovery efforts.
For the golf world, Matteo Rossi was a prodigy with dreams as vast as fairways. His final moments — so close to escape — remind us how quickly celebration can turn to catastrophe. A talent perished in the inferno, leaving a void no trophy can fill.