Deep sorrow in the world of football for the death of Juan Izquierdo. The central defender of National He died at the age of 27 after spending five days in the hospital. Albert Einstein Hospital in Brazilwhere he was admitted after suffering heart failure and collapsing on the pitch during his team’s defeat and elimination against Saint Paul in the round of 16 of the Libertadores Cup.
“It is with the deepest pain and shock in our hearts that Club Nacional de Football announces the passing of our beloved player Juan Izquierdo. We express our most sincere condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and loved ones. All of Nacional is mourning his irreparable loss. RIP Juan, you will be with us forever.”the institution wrote on its social networks, announcing the distressing news.
“The Albert Einstein Israeli Hospital regretfully announces the death of Mr. Juan Manuel Izquierdo, who died on Tuesday, August 27, at 9:38 p.m. (local time), as a result of a brain death following cardiorespiratory arrest associated with arrhythmia”, “indicated the latest official bulletin from the San Pablo hospital where the footballer has been hospitalized for the last five days.”
Throughout the day, the player’s family and the management accompanied him in the hospital awaiting the outcome. They also passed by Rafinha and the Argentine Jonathan Callerimembers of the San Pablo squad. The former Boca striker even offered his credit card to cover the costs of the hospitalization. “He calls me up to four times a day,” he said. Alejandro Balbipresident of the Uruguayan entity.
“Club Atlético Peñarol deeply regrets the death of Juan Manuel Izquierdo, former player of our institution. We express our deepest condolences and embrace his family, his friends and Club Nacional de Football in this time of great pain,” said the Carbonero once the death was known.
This Monday, August 26, an alarming medical report was released about the health condition faced by the defender with a past in Cerro, Peñarol, Montevideo Wanderers, Liverpool and Nacional de Uruguay in addition to a brief stay at San Luis de México. “The patient Juan Manuel Izquierdo remains hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit since August 22, 2024, at 8:55 p.m. dependent on mechanical ventilation, with critical neurological condition”. Hours before that statement, they had specified that it showed “a cerebral progression and an increase in intracranial pressure”.
The episode occurred in the Morumbi Stadium and it took place after Izquierdo entered the field to face the entire second half instead of Sebastian Coates. A few minutes before closing, The footballer fell unconscious after taking two staggering steps backwardsThe medical staff at the redoubt provided him with immediate attention before he was rushed away by ambulance, while the public applauded him.
The medical center reports stated that he arrived “in cardiac arrest, of undetermined onset, secondary to an arrhythmia.”The hospital immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers, including the defibrillation procedure, and the patient regained spontaneous circulation. Since then, Juan has been hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit, sedated, on mechanical ventilation and under neurological intensive care.“, detailed in the report signed by neurologist Marcos Vinicius Tadao Fujino; cardiologist Carlos Vicente Serrano Junior; and medical director, Miguel Cendoroglo Neto.
The Consul of Uruguay in Sao Paulo, Marta Echartehad referred to the seriousness of the situation when during his hospitalization: “We were with the president of Nacional, Alejandro Balbi and the family of Juan Izquierdo. The situation is practically irreversible”.
Selena, Juan Izquierdo’s wife, had requested through social networks asking for prayer chains before the fatal outcome: “Juanma needs us, I know he is very loved and we are all looking forward to this moment. His two-year-old daughter and his eight-day-old son are waiting for him at home. He has a lot of life left to live for. Please pray for him.”.
His former teammate at Nacional, Luis Suárez, I had dedicated Inter Miami’s victory to him this Saturday, August 24, to his compatriot, after scoring the two goals with which the Herons beat Cincinnati in Major League Soccer. He showed a T-shirt with the message “Strength John” when he scored his first goal and continued his displays of affection on social media: “Strength Juan! We are all with you and your family”.
Both won a title with Nacional and, in an interview published on January 20 by the club’s channel charrúaIzquierdo told what that time shared with him had left him Gunslinger: “It was a beautiful thing. Even though I didn’t have much participation, they always made me feel part of it. We had a family. That group will remain marked in my heart forever. The day before the final, he had told us that for him this was the most important cup, that he had ambition to win it. If necessary, he would have exchanged all the titles he had for that cup, because if he didn’t win it, he would feel empty. They all went out with a conviction that, at some point, it would appear, and what happened, happened.”.
Throughout his career, the 1.84m tall defender played 139 games with seven goals, five assists, 36 yellow cards and seven expulsions (4 for double cautions and 3 direct). He was facing his second cycle in the Pocket after a stint at Liverpool in Uruguay. So far in 2024, he had accumulated 1,801 minutes spread over 23 games and scored his only goal with Nacional on May 3 in the 4-2 victory over Racing de Uruguay at home in the Great Central Park.
