Nikita Sidorov, the defender of the youth team of the Znamya Truda club from Orekhovo-Zuevo died on Sunday during a friendly match with a club from Pavlovsky Posad. The athlete was 18 years old.
The footballer came to replace another one in the second half of the game. Five minutes later he felt sick and collapsed.
"The coach and the doctor, who was present at the game, immediately ran out onto the field to provide the necessary help, and so did the player's father. Paramedics were quick to arrive, we were fighting for his life for half an hour, but unfortunately, we lost him. He was the healthiest of all," Mikhail Puzanov, the director of the club told 360 TV channel.
It was later announced that the young man died due to aneurysm — a problem with a blood vessel in the head. However, there is no official medical conclusion yet.
The Russian Football Union (RFU) and the Professional Football League (PFL) expressed condolences to the family and friends of the football player.
The Ministry of Sports of the Moscow Region intends to conduct an investigation into the death of the football player.