A 22 year old footballer, a resident of Valverde del Camino in Huelva province, died on Sunday after collapsing during the match between Olímpica Valverdeña and Arcos.
The 22 year old defender, Javier Herrezuela Arroyo ‘Guti’, began to feel unwell during the second half of the match and then collapsed in a feint, never to regain consciousness. All attempts at resuscitation failed and he died as a result of cardiac arrest in the Hospital Juan Ramón Jiménez.
An autopsy revealed a congenital heart defect. An official period of mourning has been declared for next weekend and Olímpica Valverdeña has requested that all official matches be postponed.
The case has been likened to that of Antonio Puerta, the young Sevilla player who died in August 2007. Consideration if being given to the idea of installing defibrillators at football grounds.