Nacional defender Juan Izquierdo collapsed on the pitch and was taken to hospital after suffering an irregular heartbeat during the second leg of a Copa Libertadores round of 16 tie against São Paulo at Brazil's Morumbi stadium on Thursday.
Izquierdo, who had replaced Sebastián Coates for the Uruguayan club at halftime, fell unconscious in the 84th minute without any contact from another player. Both teams immediately called for medical assistance, and the 27-year-old was taken off the pitch in an ambulance to the applause of the fans.
Nacional provided an update on Izquierdo's condition, stating that he suffered an irregular heartbeat during the match and is currently being treated at the Intensive Care Unit of the Albert Einstein Hospital. Fortunately, he is in stable condition and remains under observation.
São Paulo also extended their well wishes for Izquierdo's speedy recovery through a post on social media.
The match continued despite the incident, with goals from Damián Bobadilla and Jonathan Calleri securing a 2-0 win for São Paulo. This victory, combined with a scoreless draw in the first leg, propelled São Paulo to an all-Brazilian quarter-final clash against Botafogo.
