The players of the Sao Paulo They played this Wednesday the quarter-final match of the Copa do Brasil against Atletico Mineiroat the stadium Morumbis, with the name, on the back, of the Uruguayan Juan Izquierdo, who died the day before due to an arrhythmia he suffered on that same field.
On the numbers of the shirts of the São Paulo team today the names of Rafinha, Robert Arboleda, Lucas Moura or Jonathan Calleri; simply “Izquierdo”, in honor of the Nacional defender who collapsed in that stadium on August 22 during a Copa Libertadores match.
Before kick-off, the players from both teams stood together in the centre circle for a minute’s silence. The entire crowd, players and benches then burst into applause in memory of the 27-year-old Uruguayan.
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Left He died on Tuesday of “brain death after a cardiorespiratory arrest” associated with an arrhythmia, which he suffered in the last minutes of the match between São Paulo and Nacional last Thursday at the Morumbis for the round of 16 of the Libertadores.
The defender, who had come on in the second half, collapsed on the pitch, was taken off the pitch in an ambulance and immediately taken to hospital, where he was admitted in “cardiac arrest” and had to be resuscitated with a defibrillator.
Since then, doctors have kept him sedated and on mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit.
His health condition worsened on Monday with a “critical neurological condition” and he died on Tuesday in the company of his family and a delegation from the Montevideo club.
The case has shocked Uruguaywhich suspended its activities last weekend and will do so next weekend, and all South American football.
Formed in the Cerro Athletic Club, Left He spent most of his career in Uruguay, where he also wore the colours of Liverpool, Wanderers and Peñarol.
His only adventure abroad was in the Atletico San Luis of Mexico.
