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Belgian goalkeeper Arne Espeel died on Saturday after collapsing on the pitch seconds after saving a penalty kick. He was 25 years old. Espeel’s team, Winkel Sport B, were leading Westrozebeke 2-1 early in the second half when Westrozebeke were awarded a penalty.
Espeel made the save, but fell to the ground shortly after registering the key stop. The match was immediately stopped when emergency personnel entered the field and used a defibrillator on Espeel. He was then taken to a local hospital, where he was eventually pronounced dead.
“Winkel Sport is in deep mourning over the sudden death of Arne Espeel,” the club said in a statement. “We wish Arne’s family and friends our sincere condolences on this great loss. Football is an afterthought.”
An autopsy was scheduled to be performed on Monday in order to determine the cause of death. The results have not yet been released. According to the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, more than 1,000 people, including Espeel’s family, came to Sint-Eloois-Winkel to pay their respects on Monday night.
The match was being played in Sint-Eloois-Winkel, which is the home stadium of Winkel Sport B in the West Flanders province of Belgium. The team plays in the second provincial division of West Brabant, Belgium.
