A treble-winning footballer left a packed stadium holding its breath in panic after collapsing mid-match.
Andres Felipe Roman, who plays for Atletico Nacional in his homeland of Colombia, stumbled and fell backwards 12 minutes into a fixture against Independiente Santa Fe.
Concerned staff, team-mates, and rivals immediately attended to him and waved for the referee to stop play as he appeared to be unconscious.
An ambulance was driven along the sidelines as a great crowd gathered around the 29-year-old, who once had a move to Boca Juniors cancelled due to concerns over his heart.
But to everybody’s relief, Roman managed to get up and was walking around within a minute.
The full-back was substituted and underwent an electrocardiogram.
Atletico Nacional star Andres Felipe Roman collapsed 12 minutes into a match with Independiente Santa Fe
An ambulance was driven along the sidelines but he came away with a clean bill of health
The Colombian international lifted the treble last season as well as personal accolades
Atletico Nacional later said: ‘Roman’s electrocardiogram came out clear. He is back on the bench.’
And the Colombia international wrote on Instagram in the early hours of Friday UK time morning: ‘Guys, I’m fine… thanks everyone for the messages.’
In February, Roman helped Atletico Nacional win their first domestic treble alongside team-mate Alfredo Morelos.
Nacional won the Categoría Primera A, the Copa Colombia, and in February lifted the Superliga Colombiana – their super cup.
For his efforts in 2024, he was voted as the best player in the Colombian division and named in the team of the season.
He has overcome doubts in his career to reach the pinnacle of his domestic game in South America.
Back in 2021, Argentinian giants rejected his transfer from Millonarios due to a suspected heart problem.
Medical tests pointed towards a possible case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a form of genetic heart disease which is typically inherited.
He was voted as the best player in the Colombian division and could go to the next World Cup
The 29-year-old is believed to have a phenomenon called ‘athlete’s heart,’ whereby the vital organ undergoes physiological changes due to regular exertion
But tests were carried out on his family and found no trace of the condition.
Instead, he is believed to have ‘athlete’s heart’, a phenomenon which occurs in some sportspeople where the organ can change in size and efficiency as it adapts to regular exertion.
