Freddy Rincon 's son has shared an emotional picture of the former Real Madrid midfielder, who remains in a critical condition after being involved in a car crash.
Rincon suffered severe head injuries after his car collided with a bus at a crossroads in the early hours of Monday morning in his native Colombia, later undergoing a life-saving operation. The 52-year-old was driving and his four passengers were also injured in the collision, as well as the bus driver, who too was admitted to hospital with injuries which included a broken leg.
With tributes flooding from around the world, Sebastian Rincon - who himself is a professional footballer and plays for Argentinian club Barrascas Central - took to Instagram to share a touching image holding his father's hand at his bedside. "Here we stand firm my old man," the 28-year-old wrote alongside his post. Dad Rincon is being treated at the Imbanaco Clinic in Cali, which is located south-west of capital city Bogota.
The Colombian legend - part of his country's golden generation of the 1990s alongside the likes of Carlos Valderrama and Faustino Asprilla - played at three World Cups, also starring for 10 different clubs across a career which spanned 18 years. On top of his two-year stint at the Santiago Bernabeu, Rincon also turned out for Napoli and famously won the FIFA Club World Cup in 2000 with Brazilian behemoths Corinthians.
Los Blancos tweeted in reactions to Monday's news: "From Real Madrid C.F., all of our strength and affection for Freddy Rincon following the accident he was involved in today. We send our encouragement and we hope that he overcomes this difficult moment as soon as possible."
Ex- Manchester United, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao also wished his compatriot luck on his road to recovery. "My prayers and hugs to family and friends of Freddy Rincon in these difficult times," Falcao, who now plays for Rayo Vallecano, wrote on Twitter. "A lot of strength for him in these moments of fighting for his life."
Meanwhile, his native FA paid tribute by writing on social media: "The Colombian Football Federation and its Executive Committee send all their strength and support to former player Freddy Rincon, who is going through a delicate moment of health after suffering an accident. We wish you a speedy recovery and that with God's help you overcome this difficult situation."
Having begun his career at Atletico Buenaventura in 1986, Rincon lifted the Colombian Championship twice with America de Cali, all while ending Colombia 's 28-year wait to appear at a World Cup. Italian outfit Parma signed him off the back of his performances at the 1994 World Cup, but he was loaned to Napoli due to rules regarding foreign players.
Rincon was then sold to Real in 1995 and spent two years with the Spanish giants. During his 84 caps for Colombia, Rincon scored 17 goals, the most memorable of which came against West Germany at the 1990 World Cup. His late equaliser at San Siro earned Colombia a famous 1-1 draw with the eventual winners and safe passage through to the round-of-16, where they were defeated by Cameroon in Naples.
