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Sao Paulo’s Powerful Tribute to Uruguayan Soccer Player Juan Izquierdo, Who Died
São Paulo players wore jerseys with the name "Izquierdo" on their backs during the Copa do Brasil quarterfinal match against Atlético Mineiro at Morumbi Stadium, in honor of Uruguayan Juan Izquierdo, who passed away the day before from an arrhythmia he suffered on the same field.
The jerseys of the São Paulo team did not feature the names of Rafinha, Robert Arboleda, Lucas Moura, or Jonathan Calleri; only "Izquierdo" was displayed to honor the Nacional defender who collapsed in the stadium on August 22 during a Copa Libertadores match.
Before the kickoff, players from both teams gathered in the center circle for a moment of silence. Following this, the fans, players, and benches applauded in memory of the 27-year-old Uruguayan player.
Izquierdo died on Tuesday from "brain death following a cardiorespiratory arrest" associated with an arrhythmia he experienced in the final minutes of the match between São Paulo and Nacional last Thursday at Morumbi in the Libertadores round of 16.
The defender, who had come on in the second half, collapsed on the field, was taken off in an ambulance, and rushed to the hospital where he entered "cardiac arrest" and had to be resuscitated with a defibrillator.
Since then, doctors had kept him sedated and on mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit.
His condition worsened on Monday with a "critical neurological condition," and he passed away on Tuesday surrounded by his family and a delegation from the Montevideo club.
The case has shocked Uruguay, which suspended its activities last weekend and will do so again next weekend, as well as the entire South American football community.
Izquierdo, who began his career at Club Atlético Cerro, spent most of his career in Uruguay, also playing for Liverpool, Wanderers, and Peñarol. His only experience abroad was with Atlético San Luis in Mexico.