Morosini death sparks probes over ambulance
Reuters - Sunday 15 April 2012, 14:40
The death of Italian second
division footall player Piermario Morosini during a game on
Saturday has triggered investigations into a delay in the
ambulance's arrival and calls for more medical equipment at
sporting events.
The 25-year-old Morosini, a midfielder for Livorno,
collapsed after a cardiac arrest in the 31st minute at Pescara
in central Italy. He never regained consciousness.
After the news of his death, Italy's football federation
postponed all the weekend's professional matches. No date to
play the Serie A games has been set although a midweek programme
at some point in the next two months is likely.
The ambulance was delayed by three minutes outside the
Pescara stadium because a city police car was parked in front of
the emergency passageway. Stadium stewards were forced to break
the car window, put it in neutral and push it out of the way.
Pescara mayor Luigi Albore Mascia announced an internal
investigation to find out who was responsible and said the probe
would be wrapped up by early Monday.
Overnight, city police in Pescara were kept off the streets
and replaced by federal police units because they were afraid
the would be targeted by angry fans, municipal police commander
Carlo Maggitti said.
Pescara prosecutor Valentina D'Agostino is also
investigating to see if the delay may have cost Morosini his
life. Doctors who were on the scene suggested that three minutes
time probably would not have changed the tragic outcome.
"Everything that could be done was done," Ernesto Sabatini,
one of the doctors who treated Morosini, told Ansa news agency.
"I was one of the first on the pitch and when I got to him
he was already stiff."
Doctors said that Morosini's heart had stopped when he was
on the field but an official autopsy is to be carried out on
Monday to determine cause of death.
Piero Gnudi, Italy's minister for sport and tourism, told
state television late on Saturday that he would see whether
sophisticated medical equipment, including defibrillators,
should be readily available at all professional sporting events.
Last month former Italy volleyball international and Olympic
silver medallist Vigor Bovolenta, 37, died on court in a fourth
division game after a similar heart problem to Morosini.
Hundreds of Livorno fans visited the stadium on Sunday and
left flowers and team scarves under a banner that read: "You
fought right up until the end, goodbye great Moro." Many said
Livorno should retire his number 25 jersey.
Morosini's girlfriend arrived in Pescara on Saturday to
identify the body for legal purposes.
"He was smiling slightly. He was beautiful," she told her
friends afterwards before breaking into tears, Ansa reported.
Morosini had himself known tragedy. He lost both his mother
and father when he was a teenager and a brother committed
suicide, newspapers reported.
Morosini had also played for Udinese among other Italian
club sides and Italy's international under-21 team.