Spanish football pays tribute to Jarque

Tributes have been flooding in following the sudden death of Espanyol captain Daniel Jarque at the age of 26 last night.

The midfielder passed away around 8pm local time when his heart stopped following a training session in Coverciano, Italy, where the squad are on a pre-season camp.

Reports suggest Jarque was on the phone to his fiancee – who is eight months pregnant – at the time and she alerted two of his team-mates, who raced to his hotel room.

Club doctors and Italian paramedics tried to revive Jarque, a product of the Espanyol youth system, but without success.

Most Spanish clubs immediately expressed their condolences and leading footballing personalities have now done the same.

Raul said: “As captain and in representation of Real Madrid I want to show all our sympathy and to be by the side of the player’s family.

“We want to give encouragement to all the Espanyol family at such a hard time, which has left us all filled with dismay and pain.

“Such a young lad, a great professional and sportsman, who suffered this has left us all very hurt.

“From here our most sincere sympathies.”

Jarque’s death comes two years after that of Sevilla and Spain defender Antonio Puerta, who suffered multiple organ failure in hospital, three days after a cardiac arrest during a league match against Getafe.

Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini added: “It is news that you wish wasn’t true. It’s terrible, it already happened a couple of years ago to Sevilla and the truth is these things have an impact.”

Jarque joined Espanyol at the age of 12, making his debut in 2002, and was handed the captaincy this summer.

Fans have been flocking to Espanyol’s stadium since the news broke last night and have been in mourning outside gate 21 – Jarque’s squad number.