Bolton’s 23 year-old Fabrice Muamba remains in critical condition after collapsing at a FA Cup came between his team and Tottenham. The match was called off after officials met with both teams. Following his collapse, emergency crews flooded the field, where it was reported he received “prolonged resuscitation,” as well as en route to the hospital.
Muamba was taken to London’s Chest Hospital’s heart attack centre, where he is being kept in intensive care. Phil Gartside, chairman for the player’s club (Bolton) said in a statement,
“I ask for everybody to keep Fabrice in their prayers and thoughts…The staff at the London Chest Hospital have been nothing short of exceptional and I would like to thank them all at this on-going critical time. The support that we had yesterday from Tottenham and our own fans was fantastic – the staff, the fans, the players and the officials at the game – it was unbelievable.”
Fabrice Muamba, who is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, moved to the UK in 1999, where he began his football (soccer for those in the U.S.) career with Premier League club Arsenal in 2005.
Cardiac arrest is not unheard of in football, because of the stress of the game. The last player that passed away after collapsing during a game was Phil O’Donnell, who played for Motherwell. He suffered heart failure during a game against Scottish rivals Dundee United in 2007. Perhaps the most high-profile death was when Marc-Vivian Foe of Cameroon collapsed during a Confederations Cup semifinal in 2003, and later died at the hospital.
Why do you think so many players in this sport suffer from heart failure?
The video below shows Fabrice Muamba’s mid-game collapse:
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