By: Jorge Hernandez Posted 12 Sep 2023, 16:49 pm EDT
Erick Rodríguez, technical assistant of the Costa Rican senior team and coach of the minor categories, died this Tuesday in the middle of the Costa Rican team’s tour due to the FIFA date, the same day the team had to face the United Arab Emirates in Zagreb, Croatia.
The sad news was announced by the Costa Rica Football Federation during halftime of their friendly match through social networks:
“We regret to inform you of the death of Erick Rodríguez Santamaría, Technical Director of the Minor Teams and Assistant of the Men’s Senior National Team. We join in solidarity with his family and friends.“, explained the organization in its publication.
We regret to inform you of the death of Erick Rodríguez Santamaría, Technical Director of the Minor Teams and Assistant of the Men’s Senior National Team. We join in solidarity with his family and friends 🕊.
We share a press release with details: https://t.co/uhJUuDlkwu pic.twitter.com/caSKxoGkG1— FCRF 🇨🇷 (@fedefutbolcrc) September 12, 2023
According to the statement published on the team’s official website, Rodríguez had been hospitalized since the weekend, when he presented health problems on Saturday while the team was heading to Zagreb, so during a stopover in Amsterdam they decided to take him to a hospital for evaluation, but he remained hospitalized, accompanied by a member of the senior team staff.
Since then his health worsened and this Tuesday finally lost the battle and He died next to his wife, who arrived at the OLVG hospital on Monday, where he was. The federation reserved details about the illness or incident that led to the death.
Finally, the statement anticipates that the federation, together with the Costa Rican embassy in Holland, has already begun the procedures for the repatriation of the body.
Costa Rica beat the United Arab Emirates 1-4
While this was happening in Amsterdam, the Costa Rican team faced the United Arab Emirates in Croatia, where they won by a 1-4 win; However, at the end of the game, the team’s official account highlighted the sadness that overwhelmed the team over the joy that the victory could have brought them.
“Regardless of the result, today is a very sad day for us. We lost a friend, a great professional, but above all an excellent person. Rest in peace, Professor Erick”, reads the message.
Regardless of the result, today is a very sad day for us. We lost a friend, a great professional but above all an excellent person. Rest in peace, Professor Erick. pic.twitter.com/jYh3MMIizr— FCRF 🇨🇷 (@fedefutbolcrc) September 12, 2023
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