- The defender is in a ‘stable condition’ and is ‘under observation’ in hospital
- The 27-year-old suffered a ‘cardiac arrhythmia’ and collapsed in the 84th minute
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Nacional defender Juan Izquierdo, 27, collapsed on the pitch during Sao Paulo’s Copa Libertadores round of 16 tie against Sao Paulo in Brazil on Thursday.
The defender was quickly attended by medics on the pitch and was taken to hospital after suffering a ‘cardiac arrythmia’ – an anomaly of the heart’s rhythm.
The 27-year-old Uruguayan player had fallen to the ground in the 84th minute, with players from both sides calling for medical teams onto the pitch.
Nacional have issued an update on his condition online, stating that Izquierdo ‘was stable’ and ‘remains under observation’ at the ICU at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
‘Juan Izquierdo suffered an irregular heartbeat during the match against Sao Paulo,’ Nacional posted on X (formerly Twitter).
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‘He is being treated at the Intensive Care Unit of the Albert Einstein Hospital. He is currently in stable condition and remains under observation.
The statement added: ‘Strength, Juan!’
More to follow…