Arne Espeel, who was playing for the Winkel Sport B team in the Belgian provincial second division, collapsed on the pitch in the middle of the match, yesterday Saturday, and could not be revived.
He died shortly after, while being transported to hospital.
The news saddens all of Belgian football, on this Sunday morning. During a second provincial division meeting on Saturday, the goalkeeper of the Winkel Sport B team, a Winkel-Saint-Éloi club in the Flemish region, died suddenly on the sidelines of a meeting, as reported by the daily Le Soir. .
Espeel, 25, suffered an illness when he had just stopped a penalty throw against the Westrozebeke team. Several Flemish media report the scene of his collapse, just after having made the decisive parade.
The arrival, rapid intervention and cardiac massage of the emergency services were not enough to avoid the worst. The young player died shortly after.
According to comments reported by Het Laatste Nieuws, the leaders of the club are “extremely affected” by the tragedy which affected a player of the club and who was “particularly appreciated by all”.
“We send our deepest condolences to Arne’s family and friends on this great loss,” reads the club’s official Facebook page.
An autopsy should be performed in the next few hours to establish the cause of death.