By Andrew Warshaw
July 30 – Scores of tributes, including one from FIFA President Sepp Blatter, continue to pour in following the shock death of Ecuador international striker Christian Benitez from heart failure at the age of just 27. Benitez was rushed to hospital complaining of abdominal pains following his debut for Qatar’s El-Jaish as a late substitute on Sunday. He died the following day after what the Ecuadorean federation has now confirmed was a cardiac arrest.
Benitez, known as ‘Chucko’, was top scorer in the Mexican league last season with 30 goals for Club America while 24 goals in 58 appearances for his country ranked him third among Ecuador’s all-time marksmen. He had gained almost legendary status in both countries.
Among the youngest players to appear at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, four years ago, he tried his luck in English football with Birmingham City but managed only four goals in 36 appearances before returning to Mexican club Santos Laguna who employed him at the time.
But he continued to score goals for fun closer to home and was signed up by El-Jaish three weeks ago for a reported £10 million in what was regarded as a major coup for Qatar. His debut on Sunday came in the closing minutes of a 2-0 win over Qatar SC in the first round of the Sheikh Jassim Cup, a warm-up for the new league season.
Benitez appeared to be fully fit and had never complained of a heart problem according to Ricardo Pelaez, Club America’s Sports Director. “He was very fit and healthy, always very happy, very competitive. He was a winner. Everyone can say only good things about him,” Pelaez said.
The shock of Benitez’s death at such an early age and seemingly at the height of his career prompted tributes from across the world, including Ecuador, Mexico and England as well as from Blatter who used his Twitter account to express his condolences. “I am saddened by the death of Chucho Benitez. My thoughts are with his family and Ecuadorian football,” wrote Blatter.
Birmingham, meanwhile, are to mark the passing of their former striker ahead of Saturday’s Championship opener match against Watford.
Rightly or wrongly, Benitez’s untimely death in mid-summer seems bound to fuel the debate over whether to switch the 2022 Qatar World Cup to winter, partly so as not to endanger players’ health.
Blatter himself recently added his powerful voice to the pro-winter lobby by announcing he would be asking his executive committee to officially support a switch from summer.
Sunday’s match was played in hot and humid conditions but there was no indication to suggest that it played a part in the tragedy and in a statement El-Jaish played down the issue.
“The player participated for the first time with the team during yesterday’s match against Qatar Sports Club in the Sheik Jassim Cup without complaining of any health problems,” the club said, adding that it had “visited his family and expressed our condolences to them.”
“His sudden departure is a big shock for each member of the technical and administrative staff. He was a player that over the short period he was here was regarded for his high moral character.”
Antonio Valencia, Manchester United’s Ecuador winger, and Radamel Falcao, the highly-prized Colombia striker who has just joined Monaco, were two of a number of current players to pay their respects while the president of the Ecuadorian Football Federation, Luis Chiriboga Acosta, hailed Benitez was “an extraordinary human being”.
Chiriboga also announced that the main pitch at the national team’s training ground would be named after Benitez.
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