An Italian first division soccer match was interrupted Sunday after a 24-year-old player suddenly collapsed with chest pains.
The match, a Serie A match between Roma and Udinese, was canceled after defender Evan Ndicka fell to the ground in the 72nd minute and was taken away on a stretcher.
After the collapse, Roma’s medical staff and emergency services took to the pitch and, after a conversation with the referee, the match was suspended.
Live match of the Italian Serie A suspended because Roma player N’Dicka suffers another “coincidence” without the ball and is placed on a stretcher.
At what point do athletes start demanding answers about what’s going on?
I hope he will be well. pic.twitter.com/t4C9YHzF7Q
– Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) April 14, 2024
In a statement that appeared on platform X after his hospitalization, Roma confirmed that he was undergoing tests in hospital.
“The team visited Ndicka in hospital,” the post read. “Evan feels better and is in good spirits. He will remain under observation for tests in hospital.”
The team visited Ndicka in hospital.
Evan feels better and is in good spirits. He will remain under observation for tests in hospital.
Go Evan! #As Roma pic.twitter.com/M2PfNeqOoq
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) April 14, 2024
The rest of the match will now be played at a later time.
Last December, another top-flight match between English Premier League teams Bournemouth and Luton Town was also suspended after the latter’s 29-year-old captain, Tom Lockyer, collapsed without any contact with other players.
We all hope and pray for our leader and captain Tom Lockyer, who fortunately is responsive and has been taken to hospital.
We don’t know the full extent of what has happened and what the next steps are at this stage, but we thank Bournemouth and the medical staff on both sides for… pic.twitter.com/pPCuB9ROju
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) December 16, 2023
It was later confirmed that he had suffered cardiac arrest and had been fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator device (ICD).