Juan Izquierdo, Uruguayan footballer, dies at 27 after collapsing on pitch | Football

Uruguayan footballer Juan Izquierdo, who fell asleep on the field last week after suffering from an irregular heartbeat, has died, his club Club Nacional de Football announced.

The 27-year-old player has been undergoing medical treatment since collapsing during the second leg of the Copa Libertadores last 16 against Sao Paulo at Brazil’s Morumbi Stadium on August 22.

“It is with the deepest sadness and shock in our hearts that Club Nacional announces the passing of our beloved player Juan Izquierdo,” Nacional wrote on X. “We express our sincere condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and loved ones. All of Nacional mourns his irreparable loss.”

South American Football Confederation President Alejandro Dominguez also offered his condolences to Izquierdo’s family and friends. “South American football is in mourning,” he added.

Sao Paulo said it was deeply saddened by the news, calling it a “sad day for football”.

Izquierdo was taken to Albert Einstein Hospital after collapsing last Thursday. The hospital said in a statement Tuesday night that Izquierdo had a “cardiorespiratory arrest related to his cardiac arrhythmia.”

Doctors at the hospital said in a statement Monday that Izquierdo was experiencing increased intracranial pressure. He had been on a ventilator since Sunday and in neurological intensive care since Monday.

Uruguay’s first and second division football leagues were postponed over the weekend due to concerns over Izquierdo’s health. Sao Paulo players wore a shirt in support of the Uruguayan footballer for the team’s 2-1 Brazilian league win over Vitoria on Sunday.

Izquierdo had come on as a substitute for Sebastián Coates in the Uruguayan club’s dressing room during half-time of the match against Sao Paulo, but the defender fell to the ground unconscious in the 84th minute without coming into contact with another player.

Players from both sides immediately called for medical assistance. Izquierdo, still unconscious, was taken off the pitch in an ambulance to the applause of fans, before being treated in intensive care at the Albert Einstein Hospital.

Izquierdo’s professional career began in 2018 with local club Cerro. The following year, he joined Peñarol, but did not get much playing time. The defender then left for Montevideo Wanderers.

Izquierdo was signed by Nacional in 2022, played one game before being transferred to local club Liverpool. The defender was one of Liverpool’s best players in the campaign that led the team to a Uruguayan league title in 2023, the club’s first in over a century.

Izquierdo returned to Nacional this year and battled for a starting position with veteran Coates, who played for the Uruguay national team. He played 23 games this year and scored one goal.