By David Gold
April 15 – Livorno midfielder Piermario Morosini (pictured) has died after suffering a cardiac arrest during a Serie B game with Pescara.
The player was dead on arrival at the Santo Spirito hospital in Pescara, according to Dr Edoardo De Blasio, a cardiologist there.
The 25-year-old collapsed 31 minutes into the game and was given emergency treatment, including the use of a defibrillator, on the pitch at the Stadio Adriatico.
“A shocking moment…has taken away a boy in our community,” Lega Serie B wrote on their website.
“A boy who spoke with his commitment, dedication and acknowledged the correctness of his football passion and his profession.
“[This is] an immense pain that affects us all.
“To his family, teammates and all who knew Piermario the most heartfelt condolences from the League Serie B.”
The general manager of Pescara, Danilo Iannascoli, said that the ambulance taking Morosini to hospital was blocked by a car on the pitch.
“I don’t know if the ambulance was late, but I know that the entrance onto the pitch was blocked by a vehicle,” Iannascoli told Sky Italia.
“Morosini collapsed, he tried to get back up but then collapsed again.
“He looked at me in the eyes when he was taken into the ambulance.”
Livorno goalkeeper Luca Anania was quoted in Gazzetta dello Sport as saying: “At first we did not understand the gravity of the situation.
“I was on the opposite side [of the pitch] and I immediately ran towards the middle area of Livorno, where Morosini had fallen to the ground.”
“There were moments of great confusion and I seemed to understand that there was also a moment of delay in rescue, because we were told that the ambulance could not get into the field because the entrance was obstructed by another car.
“Some of my friends have brought the stretcher to the ambulance by hand.”
The match was abandoned, with many players leaving the field in tears.
As a mark of respect, all games in Italy have been suspended by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) – beginning with last night’s Serie A game between champions AC Milan and Genoa (fans leaving the match pictured below).
Italian Olympic Committee President Giovanni Petrucci also called on all sports federations to observe a minute’s silence in memory of the midfielder.
Morosini was on loan to Livorno from Udinese, who signed him from Atalanta in Bergamo, where he was born, in 2005.
He overcame a number of personal tragedies during his life, with his parents dying while in his teens, his brother and sister suffering physical disabilities and one of them committing suicide.
“He was such an unlucky man,” said his former youth team coach at Atalanta, Mino Favini.
“He had the most unfortunate life.
“But he was very talented.
“He had a strong career, was respected by all.
“Everywhere he went, people spoke highly of him – he had a heart of gold.
“He was a golden boy.
“He grew up at Atalanta with me and I saw him playing as a very young kid.
“He was a fantastic lad who always rushed to help everyone.
“He lived for his family – that was Piermario.”
Giampaolo Pozzo, the Udinese owner, paid tribute to the player, saying: “I cannot remember a tragedy like this in my 26 years in the game.
“I remember him well as he was a very serious lad, very professional.
“He often played away on loan, but he was always back here punctually for pre‑season.
“This news has hit us hard.
“Credit to the FIGC for quickly calling off all games, because there was no way we could have played today after this.”
He had previously played for Italy at every youth level, though he had never appeared for the senior side.
His death comes less than a month after Bolton Wanderers’ midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed during an FA Cup tie with Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.
Muamba’s heart stopped and he was treated for ten minutes on the pitch before being taken to hospital, and though he was technically dead for 78 minutes, according to a medic, he has made a remarkable recovery since.
He is due to leave hospital this Friday (April 20) and could still play football again, having had a defibrillator fitted.
Today’s tragedy has similar echoes of the deaths of Marc-Vivien Foe in 2003 and Antonio Puerta in 2007, both of whom suffered similar collapses playing for Cameroon and Sevilla respectively.
Italy is known for being particularly rigorous in its monitoring of players to detect heart problems, with the Government funding heart screenings for elite athletes in all sports.
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