Argentine Footballer Emmanuel Ortega Dies After He Crashed Into Protective Wall

All football in Argentina has been suspended following the death on Thursday of Emmanuel Ortega.

21 year old Ortega was a player for San Martin Burzaco in the Argentine fifth tier, who had been hospitalised since an incident on the 4th of May left him with a serious head injury.

On that fateful day, during a game with Juventud Unida, Ortega went to challenge for the ball with an opposition player. The pair went to shoulder to shoulder, and Ortega lost his balance, tumbling head first into a concrete wall very near the touchline that was meant to separate the fans from players.

He had a double skull fracture, and received emergency medical attention before being rushed to hospital. But after a almost a fortnight and despite having received more extensive surgeries, he sadly passed away.

Fan hooliganism meant more sturdy measures such as the concrete wall are utilised, but its situation so near the pitch in a contact sport like football, as we’ve seen, is a recipe for disaster.

Despite playing in the lower divisions, Ortega was actually owned by top division side Banfield, a contract which speaks to his future promise had he lived. May his soul rest in peace.