A URUGUAYAN football star has been found dead in his hotel room just a day after arriving in Ecuador for pre-season preparation.
Mathias Acuna was under investigation after allegations of physical and psychological abuse by a former partner.
The 32-year-old was found dead yesterday in a hotel room that his club had made available for pre-season in central Andean.
Striker Acuna was playing for top-flight Serie A Ecuadorian side Mushuc Runa.
Local reports are pointing to evidence of Acuna committing suicide, but this hasn’t been confirmed.
Hotel workers reportedly called the police after finding him unresponsive in his hotel suite.
Police are now investigating but are reportedly not looking for anyone else in connection with the footballer’s death.
Uruguay’s Football Association said in a statement: “It is with deep sadness that we mourn the passing of Uruguayan footballer Mathias Acuna.
“Our condolences to his family, teammates and friends. May he rest in peace.”
His club said in an Instagram post alongside a photo of the player and a black ribbon: “Mushuc Runa regrets the death of Mathias Acuna.
“We extend our condolences to his family and loved ones at this irreparable loss.”
Meanwhile Mushuc Runa’s president Luis Alfonso Chango has expressed his sympathies and offered clarity over the tragedy.
Chango said: “We are very sad for Mathias and all this situation.
“We knew he had family problems in Uruguay but he didn’t have any legal impediment preventing him from travelling to Ecuador.
“As an institution we will give all our support for the repatriation of Mathias’ body.”
“We have to await the results of the corresponding investigation but we believe this to have been a suicide.”
Acuna was forced to wear an ankle tag as part of an ongoing criminal investigation after claims of abuse made by his ex-girlfriend.
But the electronic monitoring device did not prevent him from travelling to Ecuador for work.
Mathias had made headlines in Uruguay last month after it emerged ex-partner Lu Rodriguez had reported him for domestic violence.
Acuna adamantly denied these allegations.
At the time, Acuna explained: “The judge explained to me that they do it as a precautionary measure, not because you are guilty.
“In this country the laws are like that. They put the tag on you for everything that happened before, in other cases, and for them to have control, but I repeat: not for being guilty.
“Having the tag gives me peace of mind, because there won’t be any inventions about anything about me going near anyone I’m not supposed to.
“All this also helped me to end this years-long toxic relationship. The other party never accepted that I didn’t want to be with her anymore and came up with lies.
“I feel sorry for her, because there are women who are really suffering from gender-based violence.
“I am calm, surrounded by my family, who know me and know what I am. I have never been violent to anyone.”
Rodriguez said in defence of her decision to go to police: “I avoided this moment for many years, out of fear, out of respect for his children, out of love, because beyond all the damage, beyond all that many people know I went through, he turned a deaf ear to claims of responsibility.
“All this escalated into physical violence. Yes, years I put up with it. He got to the point where he wasn’t ashamed to hit me in front of his family, he knows it, his family knows it, everyone knows it, but money is the only thing that moves them.”
Before playing 309 matches as a footballer Acuna worked as a delivery man and musician.
He signed for his current club in July last year and his goals were key to helping Mushuc Runa qualify for the 2025 Copa Sudamericana.
Acuna also played in Uruguay’s first division with El Tanque Sisley and Centro Atletico Fenix and enjoyed two spells in Greece, including one in the 2023/2024 season with Super League club Lamia.
