Izuchukwu Okosi
Barcelona’s La Liga meeting with Cadiz on Saturday evening was halted late on following a scary medical emergency in the crowd that sparked fear among all present.
Xavi’s side were 2-0 up as the clock ticked over into the 82nd minute thanks to goals from Frenkie de Jong and Robert Lewandowski before the referee came rushing over the pitch to report an issue.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelMedical personnel raced into the crowd to issue medical treatment, with players from both sides praying on the pitch for 20 minutes, heart breaking scenes that prompted numerous social media comments before the decision was made to remove the two teams from the field.
Another fan inside the stadium also required medical attention but it is understood the second incident was not life-threatening.
Before the resumption of play, Cadiz president Manuel Vizcaino confirmed to COPE that the first fan had been stabilised.
“The fan has recovered their pulse and they have taken him in an ambulance,” he said.
“They were revived, then they lost the pulse again but in the end they have been stabilised.”
Nearly an hour after the stoppage, with medical staff safely evacuating those in need from the stadium, the players returned to the field to play out the final nine minutes.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
