NACIONAL defender Juan Izquierdo collapsed on the pitch during his side’s Copa Libertadores clash with Sao Paulo in Brazil on Thursday.
The 27-year-old suffered a “cardiac arrhythmia” in the 84th minute of the round-of-16 second leg match.
Medics were quick to attend to the centre-back and rush him to hospital in an ambulance.
Izquierdo’s team-mates were left with their heads in their hands as they were visibly troubled by the incident.
Nacional have since confirmed he is in a “stable condition” but “remains under observation”.
He is being monitored at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The full statement from the club read: “Juan Izquierdo suffered an irregular heartbeat during the match against Sao Paulo.
“He is being treated at the Intensive Care Unit of the Albert Einstein Hospital.
“He is currently in stable condition and remains under observation.”
The post concluded with Nacional adding: “Strength, Juan!”
Nacional president, Alejandro Balbi, also released a statement to El Pais from the hospital which read: “He was immediately sedated and stabilised. A heart attack has been ruled out, but it is obviously a minor cardiac episode. He is under observation.
“The doctors say that because he is an athlete and young, he has a chance of everything returning to normal, but we have to wait and evaluate.
“He is sedated and they have to wait for the effect to wear off and then begin all kinds of evaluations: neurological and cardiac, according to what the doctors told us.”
A cardiac arrhythmia is an anomaly of the heart’s rhythm.
Nacional, who played out a goalless draw with Sao Paulo in the first leg of their last-16 tie, trailed 2-0 in the return fixture when Izquierdo collapsed.
The game resumed after the defender had been taken away by medics and the score remained the same.
Sao Paulo will now play Botafogo in the quarter-finals as they seek a first Copa Libertadores triumph in 19 years.
