Italy mourns footballer Piermario Morosini

[JonLP24]

Italians have expressed shock and sadness at the death of Livorno footballer Piermario Morosini, who collapsed during a game on Saturday.

The grief was reflected in front-page headlines in most of Italy's Sunday newspapers.

Some focused on his tragic past. Morosini lost both his parents before he was 18, and shortly after that his disabled brother killed himself.

All Italian matches were cancelled and an autopsy will be held on Monday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17719098

[Ron Obvious]

1. Sad story...

Apparently the ambulance was blocked from entering the pitch by a police car. They had to break the windows of the police car to move it, costing valuable time. What an unlucky sod...

[regnaD kciN]

2. True, but it doesn't sound like it made a difference...

They had all the necessary physicians and medical equipment at the stadium, and were working on him from the moment he collapsed. it sounds pretty much like he died instantly.

That makes the second young, seemingly-fit professional footballer to have a heart attack on the pitch mid-game in the past month. Although most leagues have mandatory cardiac testing of players, maybe they need better testing?

R.I.P.

[Marooned]

3. Better testing seems to be the key

What they are doing now surely doesn't seem to be enough.

[Ron Obvious]

4. Cardiac testing...

I've always heard the Italian league were exceptionally good about cardiac testing, though. I remember Kanu having a heart defect diagnosed when he transferred from Ajax to Inter. He'd been playing for years with that defect, undetected, before that.

You can't help but wonder if doping might be involved in these tragedies... Several retired players from the seventies died of heart attacks before the age of 50, and that era was notorious for doping in football.

[MrCoffee]

5. Guardian report said that Italian cardiac testing is among the best in the world

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/apr/15/piermario-morosini-livorno-serie-b-italy

Sounds like one of those tragic events that no one can foresee. Terribly sad for all who knew him.