A 27-year-old soccer player from Uruguay, Juan Izquierdo, passed away Tuesday at a hospital in Brazil, after collapsing during a game last week.
According to medical reports from Hospital Albert Einstein in Sao Paolo, Izquierdo died at 9:38 pm (local time) due to "cardiorespiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia."
In view of what led up to this, nearing full time in a Copa Libertadores knockout stage match last Thursday at Sao Paulo's Morumbi Stadium, the Nacional defender fell to the pitch suddenly.
After being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, doctors said that Izquierdo was put into neurological critical care because of increased intracranial pressure as a result of the cardiac arrest, per the New York Post.
Following the devastating news, the Uruguayan soccer leagues postponed all the games ever since the incident, while the Brazilian Sao Paulo FC opponents, that had faced Izquierdo, wore shirts to pay tribute to him during their next game, a 2-1 win on Sunday.
Wonderful gesture by @SaoPauloFC 🇧🇷 last night wearing shirts to support @Nacional's Juan Izquierdo, who is currently fighting for his life in the hospital after he collapsed from a cardiac arrest during last week's Copa Libertadores knockout stage match pic.twitter.com/hh8xg2hiaF
— Uruguay Football ENG (@UruguayFootENG) August 26, 2024
In addition, the Brazilian club also released a statement after Izquierdo's death.
"We had days of prayers, union and hope, and today we are in deep sadness with the news of the death of Juan Izquierdo," Sao Paulo FC's statement said. "Our condolences to family, friends, teammates, Nacional fans and all the Uruguayan people in this moment of grief."
Izquierdo leaves behind his wife and two children, the youngest child was just born earlier this month.
Fallece Juan Izquierdo, futbolista uruguayo del @Nacional que sufrió un paro cardíaco el pasado jueves durante un partido de la @Libertadores. #QEPD ✝️🕊️ pic.twitter.com/IqHCGdxTy8
— Tribuna Noticias (@NoticiasTribuna) August 28, 2024
The Uruguayan Nacional club that Izquierdo played on for two different tenures released a tribute post following the passing of their player, when translated read:
"It is with deepest pain and shock in our hearts that Club Nacional de Football announces the passing of our beloved player Juan Izquierdo... All of Nacional is mourning his irreparable loss. RIP. Juan, you will be with us forever."
Con el más profundo dolor e impacto en nuestros corazones, el Club Nacional de Football comunica el fallecimiento de nuestro querido jugador Juan Izquierdo.
Expresamos nuestras más sinceras condolencias a su familia, amigos, colegas y allegados.
Todo Nacional está de luto por… pic.twitter.com/mYU28mqw6m
— Nacional (@Nacional) August 28, 2024
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