5 Football Players Who Died on the Field

The sport has seen some of the most unfortunate incidents on the field. Nothing can be more unfortunate than a player passing away due to injuries on the field. Many players have given up their lives in the past due to bad incidents on the pitch. It involves players from different eras. Some of them were the best players of their time and had a lot of careers left ahead of them. When such an incident happened, the whole Football fraternity mourned to the core.

Football is often considered a dangerous sport to be involved in. Unlike sports like Tennis, Cricket, and others where Gentlemanliness is considered to be an important factor for an athlete, Football does not pretend to follow any such discipline. Aften players get involved in fights, which can be either verbal or physical. There have been incidents where some of the physical fights turned worse and damaged the legacy of the sport. In other cases, players lost lives due to injuries.

Here is the list of 5 footballers who died on the field after suffering a serious injury.

5. John Thomson

John Thomson is considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers the sport has ever seen. However, an unfortunate accident at Ibrox claimed his life and career. In 1931, Scotland overcame England by a margin of 2-0. Thomson managed to claim a clean sheet in the match, which helped his side to claim a historic win. Thomson was a player prone to injuries and sustained a lot of them in his career.

The Scottish goalkeeper had damaged his jaw, ribs, and collarbone. He had lost a couple of his teeth as well. Unfortunately, he died due to a collision with Sam English, a Rangers player. "I have no reason to change the opinion I first formed of young Thomson, the Celtic goalkeeper. Barring accident, he will one day play for his country," a leading Scottish Journalist had once written about Thomson before his death.

4. Jumadi Abdi

Jumadi Abdi was a player from Indonesia. For PKT Bontang, he played as a midfielder. He was a part of the Indonesian U21 team and was about to make a name for himself with constant growth as an athlete. Just when everything was going well for the talented player, the fateful day arrived. Just 8 days after a collision with Persela's Deny Tarkas, Jumadi died.

In the match between Persala and PKT, the event occurred in Mulawarman Stadium on the 7th of March in 2009. What surprised many was the way he died. It was a simple-footed challenge which claimed life. The injury damaged the intestine and stomach of the player badly. Abdi underwent surgery for the same but breathed his last on the 15th of March in 2009.

3. Hrvoje Usti

Hvroje Usti was from Croatia and represented the side at the U21 level. In a match against HNK Cibalia, Usti suffered a terrible injury. In the Croatian first division match, the Croatian suffered three huge blows on his head. On the 29th of March in 2008, Usti collided with a wall and suffered a major injury. Usti was in an attempt to win a ball from the player from the opposition in the game.

But the two players collided with each other and Usti was taken out on stretchers. The poor infrastructure of the stadium claimed the life of the 25-year-old. Hvroje was rated as one of the best players to have emerged in the team at the time. But the injury did not just keep him out of the action but also ensured that the youngster lost his crucial life.

2. Tommy Blackstock

Tommy Blackstock was a defender from Scotland. He had a good career at the highest level of Football for both England and Scotland. Tommy was born at Kirkcaldy and represented a big club like Manchester United. On the 8th of April in 1907, the defender died on the field while playing against against St Helens. He collapsed after heading a ball. To date, it remains one of the most bizarre deaths.

The autopsy of Blackstock revealed that the death was due to a natural cause. But Buckley claimed that Blackstock died due to a seizure or heart attack. Back in time, the family of Blackstock was not treated well. His death was a major turn point in professionalism. Association Football Players Union (AFPU) was formed in the year 1907 in Manchester following his death, which has hugely impacted the sport.

1. Cristiano Junior

Cristiano Junior was one of the best players of his time. Along with Baichung Bhutia, Cristiano Jr formed a deadly pair for East Bengal that saw the heights of the club for some time. But the unfortunate incident stuck with the Brazilian and took his life. More than the incident, it is the negligence that took the life of the star player. Many criticize the federation for its negligence in the treatment of the Brazilians.

The former coach of East Bengal and Dempo, Armand Colaco said "If there was a good doctor, Junior could have survived." The injury happened when Cristiano clashed with the goalkeeper of Mohun Bagan, Subrata Paul. As soon as the collision occurred, Cristiano fell unconscious. The injury was severe and Cristiano was on medication. As he lost his life, Subrata was banned for three months.