Footballer suffers cardiac arrest, dies on the pitch

A Greek footballer has died after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch during a game where there was no defibrillator or ambulance at the First Municipal Stadium.

The player, Alexandros Lampis, aged 21, was playing for Greek third-tier team, Ilioupoli, when he suddenly collapsed after five minutes into the game.

The stadium is within a south-eastern suburb of the Greek capital Athens, but the ambulance did not arrive for 20 minutes and there was no way to resuscitate the stricken player on the ground.

The tragic incident is coming barely eight months Danish midfielder, Christian Eriksen, collapsed on the pitch after suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest, while playing for Denmark at Euro 2020.

Following the incident, Denmark’s team doctor, Morten Boesen, confirmed that the 29-year-old had gone into cardiac arrest on the pitch and was brought back through a combination of CPR and an electric shock from a defibrillator.

Eriksen, however, made a remarkable return to football on Monday, January 31, 2021, as he signed for English Premier League side, Brentford, until the end of the season.

He joined Brentford after he became a free agent following his departure from Inter Milan by mutual consent.

Rules in Italy had prevented the 29-year-old midfielder from playing with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) device fitted in his heart.

Other footballers reported to have collapsed while playing include Sergio Aguero, who was forced to retire after experiencing chest pains playing for Barcelona.

This season, Wigan striker Charlie Wyke, 28, collapsed in training, Sheffield United’s John Fleck, 30, collapsed on the pitch at Reading, and Adama Traore 25, went down clutching his chest while playing in the Champions League for Sheriff Tiraspol against Real Madrid.

TheStar

Segun Ojo