San Martin de Burzaco midfielder Emanuel Ortega died Thursday as a result of a double skull fracture suffered on May 4 in a game against Juventud Unida in Argentina. He was 21 years old.
Ortega was chasing after the ball when he got a shoulder check from a Juventud defender that sent him flying head-first against a concrete wall separating fans from the pitch.
Here’s the video. A warning, obviously. The injury isn’t graphic, but it did turn out to be fatal.
Oretga received immediate medical assistance and was taken to a nearby hospital. He died after surgery to repair his head injury Thursday.
The day after Oretga was injured, San Martin manager Christian Ferlauto complained about the concrete wall and the danger it represented even before Ortega’s injury.
“The wall was just a meter from the line,” Ferlauto said. “It’s crazy. There’s no protection. The security measures are taken thinking about the fans and the fence is so high so that teh can’t throw stones, but some things are more important. It’s a disgrace.”
San Martin and Juventud are part of Argentina’s fifth-tier soccer league and Ortega was under contract with top-flight club Banfield. In response to Ortega’s death, the Argentinian Football Association has suspended all matches.
