Juan Izquierdo, who has died aged 27 after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch. Credit: Club Nacional. X.
Club Nacional has announced that Uruguayan footballer Juan Izquierdo, who collapsed on the pitch during a Copa Libertadores match, has died.
The 27-year-old player had been receiving medical attention since his collapse on the pitch during the second leg of a Copa Libertadores last-16 tie against Sāo Paulo at the Morumbi Stadium in Brazil on 22 August.
“It is with the deepest sorrow and shock in our hearts that the Club Nacional announces the death of our beloved player Juan Izquierdo,” Nacional wrote on X. “We express our most sincere condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and loved ones. All of Nacional is in mourning for his irreparable loss”.
Alejandro Domínguez, the president of South American football’s governing body, also extended his condolences to Izquierdo’s family and friends. “South American football is in mourning,” he added.
Sāo Paulo said they were deeply saddened by the news, calling it a “sad day for football”.
Izquierdo Had Suffered Cardiorespiratory Arrest and Increased Intracranial Pressure
Izquierdo was rushed to the Albert Einstein hospital after his collapse last Thursday. The hospital subsequently announced the player was suffering with “cardiorespiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia.”
This diagnosis was updated on Monday, when the hospital announced that Izquierdo was suffering from increased intracranial pressure. The Uruguayan had been on a ventilator since Sunday and received neurological critical care since Monday.
Uruguayan First- and Second-Division Matches Postponed
Uruguay’s first- and second-division football leagues were postponed at the weekend over concerns for Izquierdo’s health. Sāo Paulo players also wore shirts bearing Izquierdo’s name.
Izquierdo was substituted on at half-time in the match against Sāo Paulo, but the player fell to the ground in the 84th minute. He hadn’t come into contact with any other players during that time.
Players from both sides immediately signalled for medical assistance. Izquierdo, unconscious as he was stretchered off the pitch, was taken to the Albert Einstein hospital but sadly never recovered.
Unusual Occurrence of Cardiac Arrests on the Pitch
Juan Izquierdo is only the latest in a string of high-profile, professional athletes to suffer sudden catastrophic incidents while competing. Many will remember Christian Eriksen being stretched off the pitch in the 2021 Euro Cup. Luckily, Eriksen went on to make a full recovery, but many others haven’t been so lucky.
A 2023 study into sudden deaths in competitive athletes highlighted that many of the deaths that happen on the pitch are potentially preventable. The study investigated 35 incidents in which professional football players collapsed on the pitch due to a cardiac arrest, 25 of whom passed away following their collapse.
The researchers concluded that despite professional athletes’ high level of fitness, cardiac arrest and sudden death aren’t uncommon. The study underscored the importance of targeted cardiovascular screening and access to external defibrillators on the pitch to reduce the incidence of the tragedy Uruguayan football has experienced this week.
Sign up for personalised news
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our
Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Known as the PEOPLE’S PAPER, Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain. And it’s FREE!
Covering the Almeria, Axarquia, Costa Blanca North, Costa Blanca South, Costa del Sol , Costa Calida, Mallorca and beyond, EWN supports and inspires the individuals, neighbourhoods, and communities we serve, by delivering news with a social conscience. Whether it’s local news in Spain, UK news or international stories, we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home.
With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month, EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain. The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close.
Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP), Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall). All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers. All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE.
Sign up for personalised news
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Close
