The health of Juan Manuel Izquierdoplayer Montevideo National who collapsed in the middle of the second leg of the round of 16 of Copa Libertadores against São Paulo, has the world of football in suspense. Proof of this is the concern shown by the Brazilian team players. Among them, the Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri He had a great gesture towards the rival club and the Uruguayan’s family that raised awareness among everyone.
Calleri, who emerged from All Boys, stood out in Boca and is currently the captain of São Paulo, offered his personal credit card to be used by the club and Izquierdo’s family in case it was necessary to cover expenses generated during the treatment. . Nacional thanked the 30-year-old Argentine for the great gesture, although he refused to accept the scorer’s proposal.
The Argentine coach from São Paulo, Luis Zubeldiahas also been made available since the unfortunate event occurred. The coach, in a post-match press conference against Vitória in the Brasileirao, referred to Izquierdo’s critical condition.
“It hits your sensitivity, because this player is very young. He is one of us. Any of us could go through this. It happened very close to us. He was playing and now he is in a complicated situation, he is still hospitalized. We were shocked, the players even more so, because they are equal,” commented the man from Lanús.
Also the legendary Uruguayan Luis Suarez He was aware of the situation and celebrated his goals for Inter Miami against FC Cincinnati, in the MLS, showing a t-shirt he was wearing underneath that said: “Fuerza Juan.”
Calleri and Michel Araújo visited the Sheraton Hotel on Friday, where the Nacional players who stayed to accompany Izquierdo and his family were located. They spent a few minutes talking, providing peace of mind and showing respect in the face of a more than worrying situation. The Brazilian club knew how to face the situation in such a way that, faced with any need of the Uruguayan team, they could do their part to benefit the situation.
The defender suffered a “cardiac arrhythmia” 39 minutes into the second half and he was transferred to the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, where he was sedated and resuscitated, first with CPR and then with a defibrillator when no encouraging results were achieved. The player would have suffered a “cardiac arrest, of indeterminate onset, secondary to an arrhythmia” and, thanks to the great deployment of medical assistance and help from the Brazilian team, he managed to be treated urgently.
Since his admission, Izquierdo has been kept in the Intensive Care Unit. This is because, despite the status that the analyzes that Nacional shares through its social networks show, the need for mechanical ventilation and neurological care remains a fact.
According to the medical report released this Sunday, the Uruguayan “showed a progression of brain involvement and an increase in intracranial pressure.” It is a discouraging scenario for Izquierdo. His needs continue to be dependent on “neurological intensive care” and “mechanical ventilation”, but recovery seems to begin to take effect as the days go by. The Uruguayan club took charge from the first moment of disclosing the player’s condition and his improvement.
After the last medical statement, and in the face of continuing concern, the Uruguayan Championship was again suspended and dates two and three of the Clausura Tournament will be rescheduled. The second date of the contest was scheduled for the weekend, but the Uruguayan Mutual of Professional Soccer Players decided to paralyze soccer activity.
The Executive Board postponed the meetings to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week. However, this decision was void and both the second and third days will be rescheduled.