Soccer Match Suspended After 25-Year-Old Player Suffers Cardiac Arrest in Middle of Game
A young player's cardiac arrest led to the suspension of a soccer game Saturday in Cordoba, Spain.
Dragisa Gudelj, 25, who is a native of Serbia, was stricken 11 minutes into a match between Cordoba and Racing-Ferrol, according to The Associated Press.
Gudelj was given CPR on the field, the AP reported.
Gudelj was conscious when an ambulance took him off the field.
Spanish FOOTBALL MATCH ABANDONED after Player Suffers "CARDIAC ARREST" on the Pitch...
Cordoba ace Dragisa Gudelj, 25, "Fainted" during the game against Racing Ferrol...
Gudelj is the younger brother of World Cup star Nemanja Gudelj, who plays in LaLiga...
- thescottishsun pic.twitter.com/eUB59FAqi8
— Dr. James E. Olsson (@DrJamesOlsson) March 25, 2023
According to the AP, Gudelj did not want to leave the game once he was revived.
According to the Spanish-language site Marca, as translated by Google, the team announced that "cardiorespiratory arrest” was suffered, saying that treatment on the field took seven minutes.
Gudelj was reported in stable condition at the hospital but was going to be put in intensive care “for close surveillance," according to the statement.
Footballer Dragisa Gudelj suffered heart attack, evacuated by ambulance, medical emergency after collapsing in the 11th minute of the first half of the match between Córdoba and Racing de Ferrol.https://t.co/CRf6EOmDDi pic.twitter.com/cB7Q5YCqbL
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The CEO of Cordoba, Javier Gonzalez Calvo, said Gudelj was "conscious and stable" upon arrival and that tests would be taken later, according to Marca.
He said that although the player wanted to remain on the field, due to the cardiac arrest that was not an option.
"We have decided that, as is normal, they will take him away," he said.
"In the next few hours we will give more news about Dragi, [who] we all hope will recover as soon as possible," he said.
The team thanked all those who helped treat the player.
Gudelj is the brother of Nemanja Gudelj who plays for Sevilla.
The game had been tied 1-1 before play was suspended.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
