Argentine amateur footballer in critical condition after three cardiac arrests

Jose Alberto Crespo is in a critical condition after suffering three successive cardiac arrests during an amateur football match in Argentina.

The 22? No age given, don’t add. The incident happened on Saturday evening during a game in the Torneo Don Pedro amateur competition at the Cubito sports complex in Neuquen.

Crespo, who plays for La Banda de Judiciales, suddenly collapsed on the pitch. A nurse among the spectators began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while staff prepared the ambulance stationed at the venue, according to the British newspaper Daily Star.

The ambulance reached Crespo within two or three minutes of being called, organisers said, but difficulties with its rear door complicated the process of moving him.

His team-mates eventually placed him in a private van and drove him to Bouquet Roldan Hospital. CPR continued throughout the journey.

Doctors found that Crespo had suffered three consecutive cardiac arrests. He remains in intensive care in a medically induced coma, with his condition described as critical.

The match organisers acknowledged the problem involving the ambulance, stressing that it had been present at the sports complex and had arrived quickly after the emergency call. They did not specify why the vehicle could not then be used to transport Crespo to hospital.

The incident has left Crespo’s family and team-mates deeply concerned, while messages of support and prayers for his recovery continue.

It has also prompted calls for improved medical cover and better emergency equipment at amateur football competitions.