20-year-old goalkeeper Justin Cornejo, third in the squad of the Ecuadorian club Barcelona, died in circumstances which have not been clarified a few hours following he was admitted to a clinic in critical condition, the Guayaquil city authority reported on Tuesday.
Cornejo, 20, trained normally until Monday with his teammates in preparation for Wednesday’s match once morest Brazilian side Bragantino for a place in the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana.
“No words or phrases can take away the pain we feel right now. The memory he leaves behind for all of us will be what gives us the strength to get through this. Justin, you will always be in our hearts. Rest in peace, my friend. We love you so much,” the club posted on its X network account.
Possible fall in the bathroom
Barcelona released a statement today announcing that Cornejo “has been hospitalised since yesterday, in a critical condition.” It added that “in respect of the privacy of his family, no further details will be provided at this time.”
The club did not specify the cause of the young goalkeeper’s death. Local journalists covering Barcelona’s training sessions reported that the goalkeeper suffered a serious fall in the bathroom of his home and a severe blow to the head.
