SAO PAULO (AP) — Uruguayan soccer participant Juan Izquierdo died Tuesday at a hospital in Brazil 5 days after collapsing throughout a sport at Sao Paulo. He was 27.
Hospital Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo stated in a press release that the Nacional defender died at 9:38 p.m. native time following “cardiorespiratory arrest related along with his cardiac arrhythmia.”
Izquierdo collapsed final Thursday in a Copa Libertadores soccer match between Nacional and Sao Paulo on the Brazilian metropolis’s Morumbi Stadium.
Uruguay’s air power stated one in every of its planes will transport his coffin to Montevideo afterward Wednesday.
Izquierdo’s spouse, Selena, shared a message on Izquierdo’s social media channels to “say goodbye to my half, the love of my life.” They’ve two youngsters — the youngest, a boy, was born earlier in August.
“For a lot of, Juan Izquierdo, my Juanma, my greatest good friend, my husband, the daddy of my youngsters, my unconditional companion. At this time part of me dies with you,” she stated.
Mateo Antoni, a teammate of Izquierdo’s, stated the defender “helped, suggested, mentored, demanded, insulted, hugged and laughed” with him.
“I can’t describe how nice you had been with me,” he stated in a letter. “What stays with me for all my life is that I do know that I’ll all the time watch your again as a result of I do know you may be watching mine.”
The Uruguayan membership posted a press release on social media saying Izquierdo’s loss of life is felt “in deep ache and influence in our hearts” and “all Nacional is in grief for his irreplaceable loss.”
South American soccer’s governing physique additionally posted a tribute. CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez stated he’s “deeply sorry in regards to the early departure of Juan Izquierdo.
“South American soccer is in mourning,” he stated. Different federations, together with Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina, additionally expressed their condolences.
Medical doctors on the hospital stated earlier this week that Izquierdo was put into neurological essential care due to elevated intracranial stress. He had been on a ventilator since Sunday.
Uruguayan nationwide staff gamers had been amongst these expressing their condolences.
“Ache, disappointment, it’s arduous to clarify,” Inter Miami striker Luis Suárez stated. “Could he relaxation in peace. I want quite a lot of power for his household and associates.”
Uruguay’s first- and second-division soccer leagues had been postponed final weekend because of considerations over Izquierdo’s well being. Sao Paulo gamers wore a shirt in help of the Uruguayan footballer earlier than the staff’s 2-1 Brazilian league win in opposition to Vitoria on Sunday.
The Brazilian membership additionally posted a message after Izquierdo’s loss of life.
“We had days of prayers, union and hope, and at present we’re in deep disappointment with the information of the loss of life of Juan Izquierdo,” Sao Paulo’s membership assertion stated. “Our condolences to household, associates, teammates, Nacional followers and all of the Uruguayan folks on this second of grief.”
Izquierdo’s skilled profession started in 2018 at native membership Cerro. He joined Peñarol the next yr, however didn’t get a lot taking part in time.
“Peñarol is deeply sorry in regards to the passing of Juan Manuel Izquierdo. We categorical our heartfelt condolences and we embrace his household, his associates and Nacional on this second of a lot ache,” Peñarol stated in its social media channels.
After leaving Peñarol, Izquierdo moved to Montevideo Wanderers.
His athletic type and sharp tackles caught the eye of Mexico’s San Luís in 2021, however he shortly returned to the Wanderers. Izquierdo was signed by Nacional in 2022, performed one match after which was transferred to the native Liverpool membership.
The defender was one in every of Liverpool’s greatest gamers within the marketing campaign that led to a Uruguayan league title in 2023, the membership’s first in additional than a century.
Izquierdo returned to Nacional this yr and was vying for a place within the beginning lineup with veteran Sebastián Coates, who performed for Uruguay’s nationwide staff. He performed 23 matches this yr and scored one aim.
Virtually twenty years in the past, Sao Caetano defender Serginho died hours after collapsing at Morumbi Stadium throughout a Brazilian league match in opposition to Sao Paulo. Medical doctors tried to resuscitate him on the pitch, as tens of 1000’s of followers watched in shock and gamers wept and prayed on the sidelines.
Serginho’s loss of life compelled Brazilian soccer executives to vary well being protocols to permit defibrillators in each stadium. Medical doctors used a defibrillator on Izquierdo as he was rushed to the hospital.
“Such disappointment, 20 years later,” former Sao Caetano participant Anderson Lima stated on Instagram. “Could God consolation his household on this unhappy second.”
AP journalist Nayara Batschke contributed to this report from Santiago, Chile.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
