List of footballers who died while playing
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of association footballers who died while playing a game, or died from injuries sustained while playing. Following an increase in deaths, both during matches and training, FIFA
announced on 31 August 2007 that they were considering introducing cardiac testing, a measure that has already been in place for years in some countries, such as Italy.
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
announced on 31 August 2007 that they were considering introducing cardiac testing, a measure that has already been in place for years in some countries, such as Italy.
| Date | Name | Age | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 January 1889 | William Cropper William Cropper William Cropper was an English cricketer and football player who played cricket for Derbyshire CCC between 1882 and 1888 and football once for Derby County... |
26 | Staveley | Suffered a ruptured bowel in a match against Grimsby Town Grimsby Town F.C. Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town... and died the next day. |
| 11 January 1892 | James "Daddy" Dunlop | 21 | St Mirren | In a friendly game against Abercorn Abercorn F.C. Abercorn Football Club was a football club based in Paisley, Scotland, which played in the Scottish Football League from 1890 until 1915. The team's strip colours were blue and white stripes. Abercorn were founder members of the Scottish Football League, but eventually could not compete with... , he fell on a piece of glass which led to tetanus setting in; he died ten days later at the age of 21. |
| 25 May 1896 | James Logan James Logan (footballer) James 'Jimmy' Logan was a former professional footballer. He is most famous for scoring a hat-trick in the 1894 FA Cup Final for Notts County in a 4-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers.-Playing career:Logan started his career at Ayr F.C.... |
25 | Loughborough F.C. Loughborough F.C. Loughborough Athletic and Football Club were an English football club based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, that played in The Football League at the end of the 19th century.-History:... |
Pneumonia Pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes... relapse caught while playing. |
| 29 November 1896 | Joe Powell Joe Powell Joseph Joshua "Joe" Powell was an English footballer who was captain of Woolwich Arsenal in their first season of League football. He is also notable for being one of the few footballers to die as a result of an injury incurred whilst playing.Born in Bristol, Powell had joined the Army as a young... |
25 | Woolwich Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
Blood poisoning and tetanus after breaking his arm against Kettering Town Kettering Town F.C. Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08... in 1896. |
| 1900s | James Collins | Sheppey United Sheppey United F.C. Sheppey United F.C. is an English football club based on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. The club are currently members of Division One of the Kent County League and play at the Sheppey Sports Ground.-History:... |
Tetanus caused by on-field injury. | |
| 27 August 1902 | Di Jones Di Jones David "Di" Jones was a Welsh footballer who played as a full back for Chirk, Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City in the late 19th century. He also won 14 caps for the Welsh national team.-Club career:... |
35? | Manchester City | A gash to the knee turned septic, resulting in his death. |
| 27 October 1906 | David "Soldier" Wilson | 23 | Leeds City | Suffered a heart attack while playing against Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... , probably caused by heavy smoking. He attempted to return to the field of play even when in great pain. |
| 8 April 1907 | Tommy Blackstock Tommy Blackstock Thomas Blackstock was a Scottish footballer. His regular position was as a defender. He was born in Kirkcaldy. He played for Dunniker Rangers, Manchester United, Blue Bell, Raith Rovers, Leith Athletic, and Cowdenbeath. On 8 April 1907, he died on the field while playing for Manchester United... |
25 | Manchester United | Collapsed after heading a ball in a game against St. Helens and died. |
| 1908 | Frank Levick | 26 | Sheffield United | Frank broke his collar bone while playing for Sheffield United against Newcastle United on New Years Day 1908. While recovering from the injury he contracted a cold which developed into pneumonia. A Dr Selby of Attercliffe (Sheffield) who attended Frank gave the cause of death as heart failure as a result of pneumonia. Frank died at 13.40pm on 1 February 1908 at his father's house on 125 Plumpers Road Tinsley Sheffield |
| 29 December 1909 | James Main James Main James Main was a Scottish association football player who played for Hibernian and the Scotland national football team as a right back. Main suffered fatal internal injuries while playing in a match on Christmas Day 1909, and died four days later.Main signed for Hibs in 1904 from... |
23 | Hibernian Hibernian F.C. Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts... |
During a Christmas Day match in 1909 when Hibs played Partick Thistle at Firhill on a frostbound pitch, Jimmy Main received fatal stomach injuries following a collision with a Thistle player. He died 4 days later. |
| 19 February 1916 | Bob Benson Bob Benson Robert William Benson was an English professional footballer, who played as a full back, spending most of his career with Sheffield United... |
33 | Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
Died of a burst blood vessel following a wartime game against Reading Reading F.C. Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship... . |
| 7 January 1921 | Horace Fairhurst Horace Fairhurst Horace Fairhurst was an English professional football player. He played as a defender.After playing for Darwen for a number of years, Fairhurst joined fellow Lancashire club Blackpool in May 1919 after previously playing for them during the 1916-17 and 1917-18 World War I wartime... |
27 | Blackpool Blackpool F.C. Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the... |
Suffered a head injury in a league game at Barnsley Barnsley F.C. Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's... in December 1920; died as a result of his injury early in the new year. |
| 22 May 1921 | Nikola Gazdić | Hajduk Split HNK Hajduk Split HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and... |
Young forward died of late stage tuberculosis Tuberculosis Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body... after an epic performance against Građanski Zagreb, Hajduk's greatest rival at the time. |
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| 11 November 1923 | Tom Butler Tom Butler (footballer) Thomas "Tom" Butler was an English footballer who played as an inside-left. He played 60 league games in the Football League, scoring 23 goals. He played for non-league Willenhall, before spending the 1921–22 season at Walsall. He joined Port Vale via Darlaston in December 1922... |
Port Vale Port Vale F.C. Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as... |
Died from tetanus eight days after fracturing(breaking) his arm in a match. | |
| 4 April 1927 | Albert Van Coile Albert Van Coile Albert Van Coile was a Belgian footballer. He never played for any other team than Cercle Brugge. He also appeared once in the Belgian shirt.... |
27 | Cercle Brugge Cercle Brugge K.S.V. Cercle Brugge Koninklijke Sportvereniging is a Belgian football team from Bruges. Cercle have played in the Belgian Pro League since the 2003-04 season, having previously spent several years in the Belgian Second Division following relegation in 1997. Their matricule is the n°12. The club play... |
Suffered a perforated bowel Gastrointestinal perforation Gastrointestinal perforation is a complete penetration of the wall of the stomach, small intestine or large bowel, resulting in intestinal contents flowing into the abdominal cavity. Perforation of the intestines results in the potential for bacterial contamination of the abdominal cavity... after a collision with an opponent. Died one day later. |
| 3 May 1927 | David Arellano David Arellano David Alfonso Arellano Moraga was a Chilean footballer. He is credited as a founding member of the Colo Colo football club.- Career :... |
24 | Colo-Colo Colo-Colo Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo is a Chilean football club based in the commune of Macul, Santiago. It competes in the Primera División, the top-flight football league in the country, from which they have never been relegated. Their home ground is the Estadio Monumental David Arellano.Colo-Colo... |
Suffered peritonitis Peritonitis Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of... after being hit by an opposing player during the match. Shortly after the incident Arellano was brought to a nearby clinic where he ultimately died. |
| 30 April 1927 | Sam Wynne | 30 | Bury Bury F.C. Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the... |
Collapsed and died on the field of pneumonia during a match against Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... , although Bury claim it was a cerebral hemorrhage. |
| 5 September 1931 | John Thomson John Thomson (footballer) John Thomson was a football goalkeeper for Celtic and Scotland who died as a result of an accidental collision with the Rangers player Sam English during an Old Firm match at Ibrox.-Early life:... |
22 | Celtic Celtic F.C. Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... |
Injured during an Old Firm Old Firm The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,... match when he dived for the ball and suffered a fractured skull in an accidental collision with Rangers' Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses... Sam English Sam English Samuel English was an Irish football player who played for several clubs, but is mainly remembered for his time with Rangers.-Early life:He was born in the hamlet of Crevolea in Aghadowey, Northern Ireland... . He died that same evening. |
| 17 June 1933 | Jon Kristbjornsson | 22 | Valur Valur Knattspyrnufélagið Valur is an Icelandic athletic club based in Reykjavík, Iceland. One of Iceland's most prolific clubs it celebrates its 100th birthday in 2011. The club is situated close to the city centre, in the traditional east side of town, at the old farmgrounds of Hlíðarendi... |
A goalkeeper who collided with a striker from KR Reykjavik and suffered a head injury in the last game of the Icelandic League on 13. June 1933. Was taken to hospital, where he died from his injuries on 17 June 1933. |
| 1 December 1934 | Sim Raleigh Sim Raleigh Simeon "Sim" Raleigh was an English professional footballer.Raleigh's clubs included Huddersfield Town, Hull City and Gillingham. While playing for Gillingham in a match against Brighton & Hove Albion on 1 December 1934, he suffered a haemorrhage following a blow to the head and died in hospital... |
25 | Gillingham Gillingham F.C. Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium... |
Died after a clash of heads with Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.... 's Paul Mooney in a game, who subsequently retired. |
| 5 February 1936 | Jimmy Thorpe Jimmy Thorpe James Horatio "Jimmy" Thorpe was an English footballer born in Jarrow. He played 139 games as a goalkeeper for Sunderland Football Club. He signed when he was 17 after attending Jarrow Central School. He had a promising career, becoming starter for the club from the 1932/33 season... |
22 | Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... |
A diabetic, the goalkeeper collapsed into a coma from which he never recovered, attributed to the rough treatment he received on the pitch in a game against Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... . His death lead to the rule that players were no longer able to kick the ball out of the goalkeeper's arms. |
| 1 April 1951 | Mitotônio | 35 | Ceará Ceará Sporting Club Ceará Sporting Club, or Ceará as they are usually called, is a Brazilian football team from Fortaleza in Ceará, founded on June 2, 1914.... |
Collapsed during a match. Death attributed to stomach congestion. |
| 14 July 1963 | Constantin Tabarcea | 26 | Petrolul Ploieşti Petrolul Ploiesti Fotbal Club Petrolul Ploiești is a Romanian professional football club based in Ploiești, Prahova County, currently playing in the Liga I.-History:... |
Collapsed during a match. Death attributed to unusual activity of the thymus gland. |
| 25 February 1967 | Tony Allden | Highgate United Highgate United F.C. Highgate United F.C. is an English football club based in the Highgate area of Birmingham but currently playing in the Shirley district of Solihull... |
Struck by lightning during an FA Amateur Cup FA Amateur Cup The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when The Football Association abolished official amateur status.-History:... quarterfinal against Enfield Enfield F.C. Enfield F.C. is a football club, formed in June 2007 after Enfield F.C. ceased to exist.... . |
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| 1 July 1973 | Nikola Mantov FK Osogovo FK Osogovo is a football club from Kočani, Republic of Macedonia. The club currently plays in the Macedonian Third League.In 1973, during a football match between FK Osogovo and FK FAS 11 Oktomvri from Skopje, the 23-year old Nikola Mantov - one of the best players of FK Osogovo at the time -... |
23 | FK Osogovo FK Osogovo FK Osogovo is a football club from Kočani, Republic of Macedonia. The club currently plays in the Macedonian Third League.In 1973, during a football match between FK Osogovo and FK FAS 11 Oktomvri from Skopje, the 23-year old Nikola Mantov - one of the best players of FK Osogovo at the time -... |
Collapsed and died of a heart attack in the 10th minute of a league game against FAS 11 Oktomvri. |
| 16 December 1973 | Pavão | 26 | F.C. Porto | Collapsed and died of a heart attack during a league game. |
| 18 May 1977 | Tony Aveyard | 21 | Scarborough Scarborough F.C. Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season... |
Head injuries received during match. |
| 30 October 1977 | Renato Curi Renato Curi Renato Curi was an Italian footballer best known for his tenure as Perugia mainstay in the 1970s until his death during a league game against Juventus.-Biography:... |
24 | Perugia Perugia Calcio Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles.... |
Suffered a heart attack while playing in a Serie A Serie A Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new... match against Juventus Juventus F.C. Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont... . Perugia's ground Stadio Renato Curi The Stadio Renato Curi is a football stadium in the Italian city of Perugia.It is home to Perugia Calcio. The stadium is named after Renato Curi, who died from a heart attack during a game against Juventus on October 30, 1977... is named after him. |
| 23 September 1984 | Erik Jongbloed | DWS Amsterdam Door Wilskracht Sterk AFC Door Wilskracht Sterk is a Dutch football club from Amsterdam.-History:AFC Door Wilskracht Sterk was founded on 11 October 1907, by the trio of Robert Beijerbacht, Theo Beijerbacht and Jansen van Galen under the name of Fortuna which was soon changed to Hercules. The team played in a blue and... |
Struck by lightning during an exhibition game. Son of Jan Jongbloed Jan Jongbloed Jan Jongbloed was a football goalkeeper with the Netherlands national football team at the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups, wearing the number 8 jersey.... , goalkeeper of the Dutch national team in both the 1974 1974 FIFA World Cup Final -References:... and 1978 FIFA World Cup Final 1978 FIFA World Cup Final The Final of the 1978 FIFA World Cup was contested between hosts Argentina and The Netherlands. The match was won by the Argentines in extra time by a score of 3–1. Mario Kempes, who finished as the tournament's top scorer, was named the man of the match... . |
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| 23 August 1987 | Paulo Navalho | 20 | Atlético Clube de Portugal Atlético Clube de Portugal Atlético Clube de Portugal is a Portuguese football team from Alcântara, Lisbon, founded on 18 September 1942. The club was formed with the union of two clubs – Carcavelinhos Football Clube and União Foot-ball Lisboa. They currently play in the Liga de Honra after gaining promotion in the 2010-11... |
Suffered an acute myocardial infarction during a friendly match between Atletico and the U.A.E. United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a... 's Al-Jazira Club. |
| 9 December 1987 | Dursun Özbek | 17 | Galatasaray Galatasaray S.K. (football team) Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups.... |
Died from a heart failure in a training match in Florya Florya Florya is a neighborhood belonging to the Bakırköy district of the greater Istanbul, Turkey. It is located along Marmara Sea, and borders to the northeast the neighborhood of Yeşilköy, to the northwest that of Küçükçekmece. It is one of the high class and rich areas of Istanbul... . |
| 12 August 1989 | Samuel Okwaraji Samuel Okwaraji Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji was a professional footballer who played internationally for Nigeria. He was also a qualified lawyer who had a masters in international law from the University of Rome... |
24 | Nigeria Nigeria national football team The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994... |
Collapsed and died while playing against Angola Angola national football team The Angola national football team, nicknamed Palancas Negras , is the national team of Angola and is controlled by the Federação Angolana de Futebol. Angola reached 45th in the FIFA Rankings in July 2002... in a World Cup Qualifier 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification The qualification competition for the 1990 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 24 places at the tournament... . An autopsy showed that the 24-year-old had an enlarged heart and high blood pressure. |
| 8 September 1990 | David Longhurst David Longhurst David John Longhurst was an English footballer. During his career, he played for Nottingham Forest, Halifax Town, Northampton Town, Peterborough United and York City. He died on the pitch during a match for York City against Lincoln City in 1990.-Career:Longhurst was a pacy striker who began his... |
25 | York City York City F.C. York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions... |
Suffered a heart attack on the pitch while playing against Lincoln City Lincoln City F.C. Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League.... . He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. |
| 2 February 1993 | Michael Klein | 33 | Bayer Uerdingen | Suffered a heart attack during a training session. |
| 30 April 1995 | Mukandi Tsimaya | 28 | Atromitos F.C. | Received an elbow hit in the neck by an opponent player, during a match against Panelefsiniakos Panelefsiniakos F.C. Panelefsiniakos F.C. , the Panelefsiniakos Athletic Club, is a football club based in the city of Eleusina, Greece.-History:Panelefsiniakos was formed in 1928. The club has played in the top level of Greek football, the Alpha Ethniki, three times , but was relegated after each season... . He died before going to hospital. |
| 25 August 1995 | Michael Goddard | Dundela Dundela F.C. Dundela F.C. is an intermediate, Northern Irish football team from Belfast. It currently plays in IFA Championship 2, and plays its home matches at Wilgar Park, nicknamed "the Hen Run". The club's colours are green and white. The home kit has green shirts, white shorts and green or white socks,... |
Died during a game against Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park Stangmore Park Stangmore Park is a football stadium in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Dungannon Swifts F.C.. The stadium holds 3,000 spectators.-External links:*... after being struck in the chest by the ball. |
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| 29 October 1995 | Amir Angwe | 29 | Julius Berger F.C. | Collapsed and died on the pitch of a heart attack. |
| 4 January 1997 | Hedi Berkhissa Hedi berkhissa Hédi «Balha» Berkhissa was a former Tunisian footballer who played for Espérance and the Tunisian National Team as a defender.-Early life:... |
24 | Esperance Sportive de Tunis | Suffered a heart attack in a friendly game against Olympique Lyonnais Olympique Lyonnais Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The... at Stade Chedli Zouiten Stade Chedli Zouiten Stade Chedli Zouiten is a multi-purpose stadium in Tunis, Tunisia. It is currently used by football team Stade Tunisien. The stadium holds 20,000 people.... |
| 4 April 1997 | Waheeb Jabara | 23 | Hapoel Taibe | Suffered a heart attack while playing against Bnei Yehuda. |
| February 1998 | Robbie James Robbie James Robert "Robbie" Mark James was a Welsh international footballer who played for many teams including Swansea City, Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers... |
40 | Llanelli A.F.C. Llanelli A.F.C. Llanelli Association Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club that plays in the Welsh Premier League for the 2010–11 season. The team has been based at Stebonheath Park since 1920, and as of 2009 is managed by Andy Legg.... |
Cardiomyopathy |
| 28 April 1998 | Axel Jüptner Axel Jüptner Axel Jüptner was a German footballer.Axel Jüptner played in the Fußball-Bundesliga for VfB Stuttgart between 1988 and 1991. In 1991 he joined KFC Uerdingen 05 and helped win promotion to the Fußball-Bundesliga the same year. He played for Uerdingen until November 1997, when he transferred to FC... |
29 | Carl Zeiss Jena FC Carl Zeiss Jena FC Carl Zeiss Jena is a German association football club based in Jena, Thuringia.-History:The club was founded in May 1903 by workers at the Carl Zeiss AG optics factory as the company-sponsored Fussball-Club der Firma Carl Zeiss. The club underwent name changes in 1911 to Fussball Club Carl Zeiss... |
Died suddenly of a heart attack during training |
| 1999 | Ferenc Biro | 15 | Nirajul Miercurea-Nir. | Died after a crossbar fell on his head during a warmup. |
| 24 July 1999 | Stefan Vrăbioru | 23 | Astra Ploieşti | Undetected heart defect that led to him collapsing. |
| 2000 | Daniel Orbeanu | 18 | Caraimanul Buşteni | Died after an infection from a simple sprain, misdiagnosed by four different hospitals. |
| February 2000 | John Ikoroma | 17 | Al-Wahda | Collapsed on the pitch and later died in hospital. |
| 2 April 2000 | Eri Irianto Eri Irianto Eri Irianto was a former player of Persebaya Surabaya.He died on the 3rd April 2000 after collapsing with a heart attack on the pitch during a league match against PSIM Yogyakarta at Gelora 10 November Stadium. The mess was renamed from Persebaya and is now "Wisma Eri Irianto". He wore number 19... |
26 | Persebaya Surabaya Persebaya Surabaya Persebaya Surabaya is a major Indonesian soccer team located in Surabaya, East Java. Persebaya generally play in the top league of Liga Indonesia, the Indonesia Super League but in 2010-11 are in the second tier.... |
Died in hospital due to heart failure after a game between Persebaya and PSIM Yogyakarta. |
| 21 May 2000 | Hocine Gacemi Hocine Gacemi Hocine Gacemi was an Algerian footballer. He was born in Alger, Algeria.-Career:Gacemi started his career with home-town club MC Alger. One of the most promising young strikers in the Algerian league, he signed with JS Kabylie at the beginning of the 1999 campaign... |
24 | JS Kabylie JS Kabylie Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie , known as JS Kabylie or JSK , is an Algerian professional association football club based in Tizi Ouzou. It draws its support from Kabyle football fans even outside the city of Tizi Ouzou... |
Died from a fractured skull after clash of heads. |
| 5 October 2000 | Catalin Hîldan Catalin Hîldan Cătălin Hîldan was a Romanian footballer. He was born in Brăneşti, Ilfov. During his career he played for Târgovişte, Dinamo Bucureşti and international football with the Romanian national team.-Background:... |
24 | Dinamo Bucharest | Died while playing for Dinamo; In the 74th minute of a friendly game against Olteniţa, Cătălin had a heart attack, and fell to the ground. The North Stand of Dinamo's stadium Dinamo Stadium (Bucharest) Dinamo Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Bucharest, Romania. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Dinamo Bucureşti.-History:... is named in his honour. |
| 29 August 2001 | Serhiy Perkhun Serhiy Perkhun Serhiy Vladimirovich Perhun was a Ukrainian footballer. He is the only player to date in the history of the Russian Premier League to die from injuries sustained during an official game.* 1993 - 1998 Played for FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk... |
23 | CSKA Moscow | Suffered injury in a collision with Budun Budunov Budun Budunov Budun Khachabekovich Budunov is a retired Russian professional football player.He currently works as the president of the Dagestan's Football Union.-Honours:* Russian Cup finalist: 2001.* Russian Third League Zone 1 top scorer: 1997 .... who also sustained serious head trauma. He suffered a brain hemorrhage and died eight days later. |
| 20 February 2002 | Cristian Neamţu Cristian Neamţu Cristian Neamţu was a Romanian football player.Neamtu was the reserve goalkeeper of the Romanian First Division club FC Universitatea Craiova and was considered one of the country's most promising young keepers.... |
21 | Universitatea Craiova FC Universitatea Craiova Fotbal Club Universitatea Craiova is a Romanian professional football club from Craiova. They became the first Romanian football team to reach the semi-finals of a European tournament, during the UEFA Cup in 1982–83... |
Accidentally struck in the mandible by a teammate charging towards goal. Internal bleeding was discovered, before he died one week later. |
| 24 October 2002 | Hernán Gaviria | 32 | Deportivo Cali Deportivo Cali Asociación Deportivo Cali is a Colombian sports club based in Cali, Colombia. Mostly known for its football team, it also sponsors basketball, volleyball and swimming... |
Struck by lightning during a training session, and was killed instantly. |
| 27 October 2002 | Giovanni Córdoba | 24 | Deportivo Cali Deportivo Cali Asociación Deportivo Cali is a Colombian sports club based in Cali, Colombia. Mostly known for its football team, it also sponsors basketball, volleyball and swimming... |
Struck by the same lightning that killed Hernán Gaviria, and died three days later from the injuries. |
| December 2002 | Stefan Toleski | FK Napredok FK Napredok FK Napredok is a football team from Kičevo, Republic of Macedonia, that currently plays in the Macedonian First League. The club plays at the City Stadium Kičevo, with a capacity of 6,000.-History:... |
Collapsed during a match and later died in hospital. | |
| 26 June 2003 | Marc-Vivien Foé Marc-Vivien Foé Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroonian international footballer, who played in midfield for both club and country. With success in the French League, and stints in the English Premier League, his sudden death, while in the middle of an international competitive fixture, came as a shock to the worldwide... |
28 | Cameroon Cameroon national football team The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any... |
Collapsed while playing in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's... semi-final between his country and Colombia Colombia national football team The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL... , and died shortly afterward in hospital. An autopsy later revealed the cause of death was hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease of the myocardium in which a portion of the myocardium is hypertrophied without any obvious cause... . |
| 25 January 2004 | Miklós Fehér Miklós Fehér Miklós "Miki" Fehér was a Hungarian footballer who played as a striker.On 25 January 2004, Fehér died of a cardiac arrest during a match between Vitória de Guimarães and his team Benfica in Guimarães, Portugal.... |
24 | Benfica | Died of cardiac arrest caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease of the myocardium in which a portion of the myocardium is hypertrophied without any obvious cause... while playing against Vitória. |
| 29 February 2004 | Danny Ortiz Danny Ortiz Josué Danny Ortiz Maldonado was a Guatemalan football goalkeeper who played for the Guatemalan national team and CSD Municipal.-Club career:... |
27 | CSD Municipal CSD Municipal Club Social y Deportivo Municipal, also known as Municipal or Los Rojos , are a Guatemalan professional football club based in Guatemala City... |
During a match against CSD Comunicaciones, Ortiz collided with Mario Rafael Rodríguez Mario Rafael Rodríguez Mario Rafael Rodríguez Rodríguez is a Guatemalan football midfielder. He currently plays for the local club CSD Municipal.... . He suffered a torn pericardium Pericardium The pericardium is a double-walled sac that contains the heart and the roots of the great vessels.-Layers:... and died later in hospital. |
| 27 October 2004 | Serginho Paulo Sérgio de Oliveira Silva Paulo Sérgio Oliveira da Silva, better known as Serginho was a Brazilian footballer.Serginho started his career in the town of Coronel Fabriciano, Minas Gerais state, Brazil... |
30 | São Caetano Associação Desportiva São Caetano Associação Desportiva São Caetano, commonly known as São Caetano, is a Brazilian football team based in the city of São Caetano, Brazil, part of the São Paulo greater metropolitan area. The team is dubbed Azulão , after the shirt colour. The sponsor is Consul, a well known Brazilian producer of... |
Sudden cardiac death Sudden Cardiac Death Sudden cardiac death is natural death from cardiac causes, heralded by abrupt loss of consciousness within one hour of the onset of acute symptoms. Other forms of sudden death may be noncardiac in origin... while playing against São Paulo São Paulo Futebol Clube São Paulo Futebol Clube , commonly known as São Paulo, is a professional football club based in São Paulo, Brazil. They play in the Campeonato Paulista, São Paulo's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão, Brazil's national league, and are one of the only five clubs to... . |
| 5 December 2004 | Cristiano Júnior Cristiano Junior Cristiano Sebastião de Lima Júnior was a striker for Dempo Sports Club, Panaji, Goa.... |
24 | Dempo Sports Club Dempo Sports Club Dempo Sports Club is a sports club based in Panjim, Goa. Its football side is one of India's most prominent football teams. The club is owned and sponsored by the Dempo group of companies... |
Collided with Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Subrata Paul in the 78th minute of the Federation Cup finals while scoring his second goal. He staggered away, then collapsed. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was dead on arrival at Hosmat Hospital. |
| 2005 | Alin Paicu | 32 | Minerul Mătăsari | Collapsed after heading a ball. Died of a heart attack. |
| 12 April 2005 | Paul Sykes Paul Sykes Paul Sykes is a British businessman, political donor, and associate of the eurosceptic populist politician Robert Kilroy-Silk. He is a vehement opponent of the European Union and is noted for his belief that it represents a conspiracy to create an undemocratic superstate... |
28 | Folkestone Invicta | Collapsed on the pitch 30 minutes into the game against Margate F.C. Margate F.C. Margate Football Club is an English football team based in the seaside resort of Margate, Kent, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club was known for a number of years during the 1980s as Thanet United.... in the Kent Senior Cup Semi-Final. An undiagnosed heart-defect was identified as the cause of his death. |
| 12 June 2006 | Rasmus Green Rasmus Green Rasmus Green was a Danish professional footballer who played for AB, Ølstykke FC and Næstved BK. Green died on 12 June 2006 on the Næstved training pitch, and his squad number was retired as a mark of respect. He played youth football at Brøndby IF, but did not play any senior games for the... |
26 | Næstved BK Næstved BK Næstved Boldklub is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 1st Division. They play at Næstved Stadion in Næstved on Zealand, which has a capacity of 10,000, of which around 2,000 are seats.... |
Suffered a heart attack during a training session and was, despite revival attempts from team mates and a doctor, declared dead upon arrival at the local hospital. The number 7 was afterwards retired in his honor. |
| 30 August 2006 | Mohamed Abdelwahab Mohamed Abdelwahab Mohamed Abdelwahab was an Egyptian footballer. He played in the defensive left back position. He was an important part of the Egyptian squad that went on to win the 2006 African Cup of Nations. He died during training with his club El Ahly on 31 August 2006.-Early life and career:Abdelwahab was... |
23 | Al-Ahly Al-Ahly Al-Ahly Sports Club , commonly known as simply Al-Ahly, is an Egyptian sporting club. Founded in April 1907, Al-Ahly was named in 2000 by the Confederation of African Football as the "African Club of the Century"... |
Died from undetected heart defect during a training match. |
| 9 September 2006 | Matt Gadsby Matt Gadsby Matthew John Gadsby was an English professional footballer. Born in Sutton Coldfield, he played for Walsall, Mansfield Town, Kidderminster Harriers, Forest Green and Hinckley United as a defender and midfielder.... |
27 | Hinckley United Hinckley United F.C. Hinckley United Football Club are an English football club, from Hinckley, Leicestershire currently playing in the Conference North. Formed only in 1997, the club has risen from the Southern League Midland/West Division to the Conference North in those 14 years... |
Collapsed on the pitch during a Conference North Conference North The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of... game against Harrogate Town Harrogate Town F.C. Harrogate Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1914 and currently competes in the Conference North division of the Football Conference.-History:... and died soon afterwards in Harrogate District Hospital. Medical tests revealed he died from a heart condition known as Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy. |
| 18 September 2006 | Nilton Pereira Mendes Nilton Pereira Mendes Nilton Pereira Mendes or simply Mendes was a Brazilian professional footballer.... |
30 | FC Shakhter Karagandy | Collapsed on the pitch during a training session with his club and died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. The Brazilian was a former top scorer and best player for the Kazakhstan Premier League. |
| 27 March 2007 | Ivan Karačić | 19 | NK Široki Brijeg NK Široki Brijeg NK Široki Brijeg is a Bosnian-Herzegovinian team from the town of Široki Brijeg that currently plays in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina.... |
Suffered a heart attack and died during a training match in Široki Brijeg Široki Brijeg -Name:The name of the city means "the wide hill" in Croatian . The city is also sometime referred to as "Široki Brig" and among the inhabitants of Herzegovina simply as "Široki" . Between 1945 and 1990, the name was officially Lištica, after the river that flows through it.-Geography:The river... , Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the... . |
| 28 August 2007 | Antonio Puerta Antonio Puerta Antonio José Puerta Pérez was a Spanish footballer who played solely for Sevilla.Mainly a left midfielder who could also operate as an offensive left back, he died on 28 August 2007, affected with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, three days after suffering a series of cardiac... |
22 | Sevilla FC Sevilla FC Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA... |
Collapsed during a match against Getafe C.F.. He died later in hospital after several cardiac arrests. Autopsy revealed arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy |
| 29 August 2007 | Chaswe Nsofwa Chaswe Nsofwa Chaswe Nsofwa was a Zambian international football striker. He died during a training match in Beersheba, Israel.-Arrival in Israel:... |
28 | Hapoel Beersheba | Died from sudden heart failure during a training match against Maccabi Beersheba. |
| 29 December 2007 | Phil O'Donnell | 35 | Motherwell Motherwell F.C. Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998... |
Collapsed during his team's 5-3 win against Dundee United Dundee United F.C. Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923... with what was later confirmed as left ventricular Left ventricle The left ventricle is one of four chambers in the human heart. It receives oxygenated blood from the left atrium via the mitral valve, and pumps it into the aorta via the aortic valve.-Shape:... failure. He died on the way to hospital. |
| 9 February 2008 | Guy Tchingoma Guy Tchingoma Guy Tchingoma Ngoma was a Gabonese football player. From 2007, he played in midfield for FC 105 Libreville and the Gabon national football team.-International:... |
22 | FC 105 Libreville FC 105 Libreville Football Canon 105 de Libreville is a Gabonese football club based in Libreville. It was founded in 1975 as is the club of the army and the police... |
Died shortly after a league game against Union Sportive O'Mbila. During the match he collided with an opponent. He managed to finish the game, but collapsed after it and medics were unable to revive him. |
| 16 February 2008 | Hervé King | 27 | Ringmer Ringmer F.C. Ringmer F.C. is a football club based in Ringmer, near Lewes, East Sussex, England. They were established in 1905 and joined the Sussex County League Division Two in 1963. In the 1970-71 season, they reached the 1st round of the FA Cup... |
Collapsed 17 minutes into a game against Three Bridges Three Bridges F.C. Three Bridges F.C. are a football club based in Three Bridges in Crawley, West Sussex, England. They were established in 1901 and were founding members of the Sussex County League Division Two in 1952. In the 1981-82 season, they reached the 3rd round of the FA Vase. For the 2011-12 season, they... of an undetermined cause (heart attack suspected). |
| 3 April 2008 | Hrvoje Ćustić Hrvoje Custic Hrvoje Ćustić was a Croatian football striker.- Career :Ćustić started his professional career with his youth club NK Zadar in 2000 and also spent two seasons playing for NK Zagreb between 2005 and 2007, before returning to Zadar in the summer of 2007 on a four-year contract.- International... |
24 | NK Zadar NK Zadar NK Zadar is a Croatian football club based in Zadar, a city on the Adriatic coast. The club was founded in 1945.Josip Skoblar, Đovani Roso, Dado Pršo and Luka Modrić, are among their most notable former players.... |
Collided with a concrete wall during a game against Cibalia and died in hospital 5 days later of severe head injuries |
| 31 May 2008 | Rustem Bulatov Rustem Bulatov Rustem Talgatovich Bulatov was a Russian professional footballer.-Career:Bulatov made his professional debut in the Soviet Second League B in 1991 for FC Rubin Kazan. He played 2 games in the UEFA Cup 2000–01 for PFC CSKA Moscow.-Death:... |
34 | Torpedo SDYuSShOR Kaluga | Felt ill during a game, died later that day in a hospital. |
| 15 March 2009 | Jumadi Abdi Jumadi Abdi Jumadi Abdi was an Indonesian football player as a midfielder who played for PKT Bontang in the 2008 season... |
26 | PKT Bontang | He collapsed after an incident with Denny Tarkas during the match of his club PKT Bontang against Persela Lamongan Persela Lamongan Persela, an acronym for Persatuan Sepak Bola Lamongan is an association football club based in Lamongan, Indonesia. In media, the tautology Persela Lamongan is often used... . Denny kicked Jumadi's stomach when he was trying to get the ball. Jumadi died in hospital 8 days later of severe infection. |
| 26 May 2009 | Orobosan Adun | 28 | Warri Wolves FC | Before an away match with Enugu Rangers, Goalkeeper Adun of Warri Wolves FC, was assaulted by thugs suspected to be fans of the opposition team. Slumped and died 3 days later from internal haemorrhage, during a training session. |
| 8 Aug 2009 | Daniel Jarque Daniel Jarque Daniel Jarque i González was a Spanish footballer who played as a central defender.Jarque played his entire career with Espanyol, and was named team captain one month before his death from a heart attack, at the age of 26.... |
26 | RCD Espanyol RCD Espanyol Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009... |
Died after he suffered a cardiac arrest following a training session. |
| 15 November 2009 | Maurizio Greco | 25 | TuS Güldenstern Stade | He collapsed during the match of his club TuS Güldenstern Stade against Lupo Martini Wolfsburg at Campers Höhe and died later in the hospital. |
| 6 March 2010 | Endurance Idahor Endurance Idahor Endurance Idahor was a Nigerian football player who played for Sudanese club Al-Merreikh. On 6 March 2010, Idahor collapsed during a league game and later died on his way to the hospital.-Career:... |
25 | Al-Merreikh | He collapsed during the match of his Sudanese club Al Merreikh against Alamal Atbara. He died in the ambulance. Autopsy report revealed that he suffered a circulatory collapse from a heart attack. |
| 8 March 2010 | Bartholomew Opoku | 19 | Kessben F.C. Kessben F.C. Medeama Sporting Club is a Ghanaian football club based in Tarkwa. The club currently plays in the Ghana Premier League.The club was formerly known as Kessben F.C. before changing its name to Medeama Sporting Club in January 2011.-History:... |
He collapsed the day before while playing against league side Liberty. He was quickly taken to hospital and is understood to have stabilised overnight. His death was announced the next day by his club. |
| May 2010 | Goran Tunjić | 32 | Mladost FC | He died from a heart attack during a 5th Division match. It was widely reported that Tunjić had been booked by the referee for diving, though such reports were later refuted by some sources. |
| 8 May 2010 | Wilson Mene | Prek Pra Keila | Wilson Mene died after collapsing during a league match. He is survived by both parents and seven siblings. He played in Metfone Cambodian League Cambodian League -Metfone C-League Clubs :* Build Bright United* Chhlam Samuth* Kirivong Sok Sen Chey* Nagacorp FC* National Defense Ministry* Phnom Penh Crown* Police Commissary* Preah Khan Reach * Prek Pra Keila ... at National Olympic Stadium. |
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| 12 April 2011 | Lokissimbaye Loko | 30 | FC Beaumontois | The former Chadian national football player Chad national football team The Chad national football team, nicknamed Sao, represents Chad in international football. The team is controlled by the Fédération Tchadienne de Football, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2009 by Sherif El-Khashab... died from a heart attack during a Ligue Midi-Pyrenees match. |
| 4 August 2011 | Naoki Matsuda Naoki Matsuda was a Japanese footballer who played as a central defender.-Football career:Born in Kiryū, Gunma, Matsuda represented the Yokohama F. Marinos for the vast majority of his career, being promoted to the first team in 1995, at the age of 18... |
34 | Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. are a Japanese football club based in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League after being promoted in 2009.Their nickname is the , symbol birds of Nagano Prefecture.-History:... |
Former Yokohama F. Marinos Yokohama F. Marinos is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in... and Japan international football player Japan national football team The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan... collapsed during training on 2 August 2011 due to a cardiac arrest after finishing a 15-minute warmup run, and doctors diagnosed his condition as "extremely severe". After suffering for two days, he died on 4 August. |
| 13 November 2011 | Bobsam Elejiko Bobsam Elejiko Bobsam 'Bob' Elejiko was a Nigerian footballer. He played as a central defender for several domestic teams between 2000 and 2011 before his death on the field during a football match.-Football career:... |
30 | K. Merksem S.C. | Nigerian born player who spent most of his career playing in Belgium collapsed and died while playing a 5th tier match for K. Merksem S.C. against F.C. Exc. Kaart |
See also
- List of sportspeople who have died during their playing career
- List of entertainers who died during a performance