Belgian goalkeeper Arne Espeel died after he collapsed on the pitch on Saturday moments after saving a penalty for his staff. He was 25.
Winkel Sport B, who play within the second provincial division of West Brabant in Belgium, had been 2-1 up in opposition to Westrozebeke when their opponents had been awarded a penalty within the second half.
In response to studies in Belgian media, Espeel saved the spot kick however dropped to the bottom afterwards.
Emergency companies rushed to assist Espeel and tried to revive him with a defibrillator, however he was pronounced useless shortly after he was taken to a hospital. A reason behind loss of life just isn’t but identified.
“It is a catastrophe and a shock to everybody,” Winkel sporting director Patrick Rotsaert stated, in keeping with Nieuwsblad.
“Arne had been with the membership all his life and was very liked. He was a splendidly sympathetic boy, at all times in temper and able to assist. That is actually a heavy blow. To start with for his household and in addition our complete membership.”
The sport was performed on the membership’s dwelling floor in Sint-Eloois-Winkel within the West Flanders Province.
Household and pals gathered on the area to put flowers and wreaths within the objective the place Espeel collapsed, in keeping with the Each day Mail. Espeel’s teammates had been additionally current for the ceremony.
“The ball was nonetheless in play. Our goalkeeper received up as quick as potential to obtain the ball, however then he fell,” assistant coach Stefaan Dewerchin stated, by way of the Each day Mail.
“It was actually horrible to observe. All of the gamers showered collectively after the incident. When the message got here that our goalkeeper was useless, it was an unusually heavy blow. I feel some gamers nonetheless don’t realise precisely what occurred.”
An post-mortem was scheduled to have taken place on Monday to find out the reason for Espeel’s loss of life.
“Winkel Sport is in very deep mourning by the sudden loss of life of Arne Espeel,” the membership stated in an announcement.
“We want household and pals of Arne our heartfelt condolences on this heavy loss. Soccer is an afterthought.”
This text was initially printed by the New York Submit and reproduced with permission
