A Spanish third-division match between Cordoba and Racing de Ferrol was suspended on Saturday after Serbian defender Dragisa Gudelj suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the pitch.
Dragisa Gudelj, the brother of Serbia midfielder Nemanja Gudelj who plays for Sevilla, suffered a cardiac arrest during the 11th minute of the first half.
An ambulance immediately responded and drove onto the field to assist Gudelj, and then transported him to a nearby hospital once his condition had stabilized.
Doctors performed CPR on the field and successfully revived Gudelj. They treated him for seven minutes, including cardiac massage, until the ambulance arrived, according to Marca.
The stars of Cordoba broke down in tears as they witnessed one of their own get medical attention.
The center-back was conscious when he was taken away in an ambulance, and the fans gave him a standing ovation as he left the stadium.
After he regained consciousness, the 25-year-old player seemed determined to continue despite the scary incident, but he was taken to Reina Sofia hospital for observation.
The club later said that Gudelj is “stable” but under “close surveillance” in the ICU.
WATCH:
Dragisa Gudelj collapsed on the pitch today in the 11th minute of the first half, and was taken by ambulance after collapsing in Córdoba.
The game was suspended shortly after.
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Marca reported:
[Translation] Dragisa Gudelj is “stable” after being treated at the Emergency Department of the Reina Sofía University Hospital, according to the entity. However, the center-back “is going to go to the UCI for close surveillance ,” according to the press department.
The CEO of Córdoba, Javier González Calvo , confirmed after the meeting that the player arrived “conscious and stable” at the hospital and that he was going to be “tested” throughout the evening. “He’s been in cardiac arrest for a while ,” although “by the time he left the stadium he was fully conscious” and “wanted to play the game.”
“We have decided that, as is normal, they will take him away. In the next few hours we will give more news about Dragi, which we all hope will recover as soon as possible,” he added.