Conmebol declared a mourning period for Juan Izquierdo, the Nacional (Uruguay) defender who passed away last Tuesday after suffering a cardiac episode during the Copa Libertadores match against São Paulo in Brazil five days prior. The measure took effect yesterday, hours after the news broke, and will last until August 30 inclusive.
In this context, it was decided that during these three days, the flags of member countries and their confederations will be flown at half-mast. Additionally, it encourages associations “to observe a minute of silence before each match played until the end of the quarter-finals of the Libertadores and Sudamericana.”
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In the considerations, it was highlighted that Juan Izquierdo “was a man committed to football, and his unexpected and premature death, which occurred after a collapse on the field, shocks all of South American sports.” It was also noted that “the surprising and tragic passing of this young footballer, a family man, brings mourning to all levels of this Confederation.”
Furthermore, the highest body of South American football projected the name of Juan Izquierdo on the front of its headquarters in Luque, Paraguay, along with a ribbon as a sign of mourning. This was displayed on their social media, accompanied by a text stating: “The South American football family is in mourning.”
Criticism of Conmebol
That post was filled with criticism of Conmebol, many of which pointed to the decision to announce, amid the shock of the defender’s death, the sanctions against Uruguayan players for the incidents of violence that occurred in the semi-finals against Colombia in the last Copa América 2024.
Other comments also criticized that the match between Nacional and São Paulo continued to be played after the arrhythmia caused Izquierdo to collapse in the center circle. The player subsequently suffered cardiac arrest while being urgently transferred from Morumbi Stadium to the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital.
