Uruguayan Defender Izquierdo breaths his last at 27 after mid-game collapse in Brazil

Uruguayan Footballer Juan Izquierdo lost the match involving his life as he perished at a hospital in Brazil five days after collapsing during a game at Sao Paulo. He was only 27.

The hospital authorities in Sao Paulo confirmed that the Nacional defender experienced cardiorespiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia. 

Izquierdo was taken to the hospital after he collapsed shortly before full-time in a Copa Libertadores soccer match at Sao Paulo's Morumbi Stadium last Thursday.

His team expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of Izquierdo, the loss had a profound impact on everyone associated with the club. 

Izquierdo was married and had two children the youngest, a boy, was born earlier in August. He had been on a ventilator since Sunday.

An irreparable loss for everyone involved

Uruguay's top two soccer leagues were delayed last weekend due to concerns about the health of Izquierdo. In support of the Uruguayan footballer, Sao Paulo players wore a shirt before their 2-1 win against Vitoria in the Brazilian league on Sunday.

The Brazilian club Sao Paulo posted a message 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. Our condolences to family, friends, teammates, Nacional fans and all the Uruguayan people in this moment of grief. "

Other Federations including the CONMEBOL president expressed their condolences and mourned the loss of the talented footballer.

"Pearol is deeply sorry about the passing of Juan Manuel Izquierdo. We express our heartfelt condolences and we embrace his family, his friends and Nacional in this moment of so much pain," Pearol stated on its social media channels.

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Izquierdo's Footballing Journey 

Izquierdo started his professional career at the local club Cerro in 2018. The following year, he joined Pearol but struggled to get much playing time.

After leaving Pearol, Izquierdo moved to Montevideo Wanderers. In 2021, his athletic form and strong tackles caught the attention of San Lus in Mexico, but he soon returned to Montevideo Wanderers. Izquierdo signed with Nacional in 2022, played one match, and was later transferred to the local Liverpool club.

During the campaign that led the team to a Uruguayan league title in 2023, the defender was one of Liverpool's standout players, marking the club's first title in over a century.

The defender played a crucial role for Liverpool as the team won the Uruguayan league title in 2023, marking the club's first championship in over a hundred years. Upon returning to Nacional this year, Izquierdo competed with veteran Sebastian Coates for a spot in the starting lineup. Coates, a player for Uruguay's national team, was his main rival. Izquierdo managed to participate in 23 matches this year and even scored a single goal.

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