Juan Izquierdo has died at the age of 27, days after collapsing during a game in Brazil, according to his Uruguayan club and South American football's governing body.<br /><br />The club, Nacional, posted a statement on social media saying Izquierdo's death is felt 'in deep pain and impact in our hearts' and 'all Nacional is in grief for his irreplaceable loss.'<br /><br />South American soccer's governing body also posted a tribute, just days after he collapsed on the field and was rushed to hospital before the team announced he was in a 'stable condition'.<br /><br /><br />Izquierdo was taken to Hospital Albert Einstein after he collapsed during a Copa Libertadores soccer match at Sao Paulo's Morumbi Stadium last Thursday.<br /><br />The hospital said in a statement late Tuesday that Izquierdo had 'cardiorespiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia.'<br /><br />In a statement Monday, doctors at the hospital had said Izquierdo was experiencing increased intracranial pressure. He had been on a ventilator since Sunday and under neurological critical care since Monday.<br /><br />Izquierdo's professional career began in 2018 at local club Cerro. He joined Peñarol the following year but didn't get much playing time. The defender then moved to Montevideo Wanderers. <br /><br />His athletic form and sharp tackles caught the attention of Mexico's San Luís in 2021, but he quickly returned to the Montevideo Wanderers.<br /><br />Izquierdo was signed by Nacional in 2022, played one match, and then was transferred to the local Liverpool club.<br /><br />The defender was one of Liverpool's best players in the campaign that led the team to an Uruguayan league title in 2023, the club's first in more than a century.<br /><br />Izquierdo returned to Nacional this year and was vying for a position in the starting lineup with veteran Sebastián Coates, who played for Uruguay's national team. He played 23 matches this year and scored one goal.<br /><br />Izquierdo was married and had two children - the youngest, a boy, was born earlier in August.<br /><br />Uruguayan media said Izquierdo's parents and Nacional executives were at the hospital in Sao Paulo. <br /><br />Uruguay's first- and second-division leagues were postponed at the weekend due to concerns over Izquierdo's health. Sao Paulo players wore a shirt in support of the Uruguayan footballer before the team's 2-1 Brazilian league win against Vitoria on Sunday.
