Espanyol Skipper dies at 26

Espanyol Skipper dies at 26

Spanish football is in mourning after it was confirmed Daniel Jarque, the Espanyol captain, has died at the age of 26.

The midfielder's heart stopped last night following a training session in Coverciano, Italy, yesterday evening where the squad are on a pre-season camp. Club doctors and Italian paramedics tried to revive Jarque, but without success.

"Tragedy struck Espanyol and the family of Dani Jarque this evening," a club statement said. "The player died from a cardiac arrest.

"The doctor Cervera carried out CPR on the player and used a defibrillator, which showed that the arrest was non responsive. After a few minutes the first ambulance arrived from the Florence emergency services, who tried again with the defibrillator they carried.

"The medical services continued carrying out CPR, administering adrenaline and atropine for an hour, but the player's heart did not react, so finally that determined his death.

"RCD Espanyol, broken with pain, wish to put themselves at the absolute disposition of the family of our captain Dani Jarque, to whom go our warmest thoughts."

Jarque joined Espanyol at the age of 12, making his debut in 2002, and was handed the captaincy this summer.

His death comes two years after that of Antonio Puerta, the Seville and Spain defender who suffered multiple organ failure in hospital, three days after a cardiac arrest during a league match against Getafe.

It was Seville who led the tributes from other Primera Division clubs tonight. "Seville and president Jose Maria del Nido share the pain of the family of Daniel Jarque, the team captain, who suffered a heart attack while talking on the phone in his room while with the team on their tour of Italy," a statement on their website said.

Espanyol's city rivals Barcelona also offered their condolences on their website with a message from president Joan Laporta. "We are filled with extreme dismay at this tragic event which we deeply regret," he said. "Today we are all in mourning."

Espanyol, who had been due to play Bologna in a friendly tomorrow, have suspended their pre-season tour of Italy and will now fly back to Barcelona.

In 2007, Phil O'Donnell, the Motherwell midfielder, died after collapsing during a match against Dundee United in the Scottish Premier League at the age of 35. An autopsy revealed he had died of heart failure.

Marc-Vivien Foe, the Cameroon midfielder, died during a 2003 Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia at age 28. He was later discovered to have had a heart condition.