Soccer has experienced a tragedy this weekend with the loss of another player in the middle of the field. Arne Espeel, a 25-year-old goalkeeper, died after collapsing in an amateur match between Winkel Sport B and Westrozebeke in Belgium.
Espeel collapsed after saving a penalty, leaving everyone present in shock. Although medical assistance arrived quickly, they were unable to keep him stable, and he died of a sudden death, according to local media reports.
The news has shocked the soccer world, which cannot explain how a young and healthy athlete could lose his life so suddenly and without any apparent cause.
Unfortunately, this is not the first case of a player dying on the field of play. Last week, Ado Bala Hadi, a 22-year-old soccer player, collapsed in a game in Toledo, Spain, and did not respond to resuscitation efforts by emergency crews for more than 25 minutes.
These types of tragedies are a reminder of the risks athletes face on the field of play, even at lower levels of the sport.