Montevideo.-The world of football is deeply saddened by the death of Juan Izquierdo. The central defender of Nacional died at the age of 27 after spending five days in the Albert Einstein hospital in Brazil, where he was admitted after suffering heart failure and collapsing on the pitch during his team’s defeat and elimination against San Pablo in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores.
“It is with the deepest pain and shock in our hearts that Club Nacional de Football announces the passing of our beloved player Juan Izquierdo. We express our most sincere condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and loved ones. All of Nacional is mourning his irreparable loss. RIP Juan, you will be with us forever,” the club wrote on its social media, announcing the distressing news.
“The Albert Einstein Israeli Hospital regretfully announces the death of Mr. Juan Manuel Izquierdo, who passed away on Tuesday, August 27, at 9:38 p.m. local time, as a result of brain death following a cardiorespiratory arrest associated with arrhythmia,” stated the latest official bulletin from the San Pablo hospital where the footballer was hospitalized for the last five days.”
Throughout the day, the player’s family and the management accompanied him in the hospital awaiting the outcome. Rafinha and the Argentine Jonathan Calleri, members of the San Pablo squad, also passed through there. The former Boca striker even offered his credit card to cover the costs of the hospitalization. “He calls me up to four times a day,” said Alejandro Balbi, president of the Uruguayan club.
“Club Atlético Peñarol deeply regrets the death of Juan Manuel Izquierdo, former player of our institution. We express our deepest condolences and embrace his family, his friends and Club Nacional de Football in this time of great pain,” said the Carbonero once the death was known.
On Monday, August 26, an alarming medical report was released regarding the health condition of the defender with a past in Cerro, Peñarol, Montevideo Wanderers, Liverpool and Nacional de Uruguay, in addition to a brief stay in San Luis de México.
“Patient Juan Manuel Izquierdo has been hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit since August 22, 2024, at 8:55 p.m., dependent on mechanical ventilation, with a critical neurological condition.” Hours before that statement, they had specified that he showed “cerebral progression and an increase in intracranial pressure.”
The incident occurred at the Morumbí Stadium and took place after Izquierdo entered the field to play the entire second half in place of Sebastián Coates. A few minutes before the end, the footballer fell unconscious after taking two staggering steps backwards. The medical staff at the stadium gave him immediate attention before he was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, while the public applauded him.
The reports from the medical center stated that he arrived “in cardiac arrest, of undetermined onset, secondary to an arrhythmia.” “The hospital immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers, including the defibrillation procedure, and the patient regained spontaneous circulation. Since then, Juan has been hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit, sedated, on mechanical ventilation and under neurological intensive care,” detailed the report signed by neurologist Marcos Vinicius Tadao Fujino; cardiologist Carlos Vicente Serrano Junior; and the medical director, Miguel Cendoroglo Neto.
The Uruguayan consul in Sao Paulo, Marta Echarte, had referred to the seriousness of the situation during his hospitalization: “We were with the president of Nacional, Alejandro Balbi, and the family of Juan Izquierdo. The situation is practically irreversible.”
Selena, Juan Izquierdo’s wife, had asked for prayer chains through social media before the fatal outcome: “Juanma needs us, I know he is very loved and we are all looking forward to this moment. His two-year-old daughter and his eight-day-old son are waiting for him at home. He has a lot to live for. Please pray for him.”
His former teammate at Nacional, Luis Suárez, had dedicated Inter Miami’s victory on Saturday, August 24, to his compatriot, after scoring the two goals with which the Garzas beat Cincinnati in Major League Soccer. He showed a shirt with the message “Strength Juan” when he scored his first goal and continued his displays of affection on social media: “Strength Juan! We are all with you and your family.”
Both won a title with Nacional and, in an interview published on January 20 by the Uruguayan club’s channel, Izquierdo told what that time shared with the Pistolero had left him with: “It was something beautiful. Even though I didn’t have much participation, they always made me feel part of it. We had a family. That group will remain marked in my heart forever. The day before the final, he had told us that for him this was the most important cup, that he had ambition to win it. If necessary, he would exchange all the titles he had for that cup, that if he didn’t win it he would feel empty. They all came out with a conviction that, at some point, it would appear, and what happened, happened.”
Throughout his career, the 1.84m tall defender played 139 games with seven goals, five assists, 36 yellow cards and seven expulsions (4 for double caution and 3 direct). He faced his second cycle at the Bolso after a stint at Liverpool in Uruguay. So far in 2024, he had accumulated 1801 minutes spread over 23 games and scored his only goal with Nacional on May 3 in the 4-2 victory against Racing de Uruguay at home in the Gran Parque Central.
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2024-08-29 08:53:17
