Piermario Morosini Suffers Three Cardiac Arrests, Dies During Italian Soccer Game

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Apr 14, 2012

Piermario Morosini Suffers Three Cardiac Arrests, Dies During Italian Soccer GameThe Italian Football Federation has suspended all league games after Piermario Morosini collapsed on the field Saturday and died.

The 25-year-old's heart went into cardiac arrest three times during Saturday's Serie B (second division) contest between Pescara and Livorno, according to Football Italia.

"Unfortunately, they tell me he had suffered three cardiac arrests in quick succession," Pescara President Daniele Sebastiani told TMW, according to Football Italia. "I am without words. It is a tragedy. You cannot die at this age on a football field."

Morosini collapsed in the 31st minute of the game. Frantic attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead on arrival at a local hospital. The game was abandoned as players and fans of both teams were overcome with grief.

Morosini was a former Italian U-17 and U-21 international. He was playing on loan for Livorno, but his contract was owned by Serie A club Udinese. He played 127 games in Italian soccer's first and second divisions.

Morosini's death will be marked by controversy after reports were made that an ambulance could not get to the field at Pescara's Stadio Adriatico because a traffic police car was parked across the emergency entrance. It took nearly six minutes for the ambulance to reach the field, and it was too late by then.

On March 17, Bolton Wanderers midfielder Patrice Muamba's heart went into cardiac arrest, and he collapsed during a game at Tottenham Hotspur. His heart stopped beating for 78 minutes, but paramedics were able to keep him alive. They arrived quickly and began treating him seconds after his heart stopped. Muamba is recovering, and he may resume his promising career.

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