25-year-old goalkeeper died in Belgium after saving a penalty: “We went from euphoria to sadness in seconds”

Belgian football mourns the death of Arne EEspeelkeeper of Sports Shop Bof the second division. The guard, 25 years old, jumped for joy after saving a penalty but immediately collapsed seconds later. The medical service present quickly went to the scene and tried to revive the young man. Unfortunately, the help was in vain and the goalkeeper was later pronounced dead in hospital.

The sadness of the players and their families is still present in the city of Ledegem. Aaron, Arne’s little brother, returned to the substitutes’ bench for the first time in weeks after his injury and, like his parents in the crowd, they saw the tragedy unfold before their eyes. The victim’s cousin, Emiel Debusseré, was on the field as captain when it happened. “We realize little by little, but we are still in shock. Arne was a very outgoing and driven person, a true leadership figure. In our team, many admired him,” he said in a conversation with kW.

Outside of football too, Espeel was not unknown to many. “He really liked being around people and was always there. As a starting goaltender, he could be counted on every week. In addition, he was always ready to help others,” added his relative. His brother is the second goalkeeper for Winkel Sport’s first team. Arne wasn’t married, but he had a girlfriend. He lived with his parents and had an older brother and a younger brother. The goalkeeper commercial engineer graduate then went to work Picanol In Ypreswhere he took over as Supply Chain Project Engineer.

Winkel Sport has declared three days of mourning. “Immediately, our players understood that something serious was happening”, explained sports director Wim Dupont the day after the events. “Emergency services were notified seconds after he collapsed and some of the players who had first aid knowledge started resuscitation. Eventually, Arne was taken to hospital in critical condition. There, he ended up dying. When this news came it was very quiet in our dining room. So we really went from elation at the penalty save to great sadness in a matter of seconds.”

The leader made one last memory of the goalkeeper. “How are we going to remember Arne?” Arne was a club boy, as he had played here since he was a boy and would likely stay here for many years. He was a calm and nice guy, so I can’t say anything bad about him. In addition, personally, he has been very good this season and he showed it again with this saved penalty. He was also a goalkeeping coach, very popular with young people. It is certainly a great loss for Winkel’s sport as a whole, but above all, of course, also for his family.”

Meanwhile, the club’s social media left a message for the sad news. “Winkel Sport is in mourning following the sudden death of goalkeeper Arne Espeel. We wish family and friends our deepest condolences for this great loss. Football is a secondary activity for a while”, wrote the official profile. This Monday, the funeral took place in the town of Ledegem, the hometown of the goalkeeper.

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