Piermario Morosini “suffered three cardiac arrests in quick succession,” but there are reports of delays in getting the ambulance on to the pitch.
Piermario Morosini “suffered three cardiac arrests in quick succession,” but there are reports of delays in getting the ambulance on to the pitch.
Italian football has been suspended this afternoon after 25-year-old Livorno midfielder Morosini collapsed 31 minutes into the Serie B game with Pescara.
“Unfortunately, they tell me he had suffered three cardiac arrests in quick succession,” explained Pescara President Daniele Sebastiani on TMW.
“I am without words. It is a tragedy, you cannot die at this age on a football field.”
There is now controversy and accusations, as there was a delay of at least six minutes in getting the ambulance on to the pitch at the Stadio Adriatico.
It is reported a traffic police car was parked across the emergency entrance, preventing the ambulance from coming through.
There were images of Livorno players rushing through to practically drag the stretcher towards Morosini. It is also not clear whether a defibrillator was present in the arena, but medics were applying CPR.
The tragedy occurred in Pescara, who lost goalkeeping Coach Francesco Mancini only two weeks ago to a heart attack at the age of 43.
Morosini had a tragic family history, as he lost his mother Camilla in 2001, when he was aged 15, and his father Aldo died two years later.
Soon after, his brother was also killed in an accident. The only remaining family member is an older sister.
He made his Serie A debut for Udinese against Inter and made five appearances, then was sent out on loan to Bologna and Vicenza.
He grew up in the prestigious Atalanta youth system and was an Under-17 and Under-21 Italian international.