Has Professional Football Become a Health Risk?

Football has been hit yet again by the news of another player collapsing due to cardiac arrest. Sadly, the news would not have a happy ending with Livorno midfielder, Pieromario Morosini dying during a Serie B game at Pescara.

25-year-old Morosini who had been on loan from Serie A side, Udinese, collapsed halfway through the 1st half. He tried to get up but ultimately succumbed and died before he could reach the hospital. All games to be played that weekend were immediately suspended by the Italian football association.

Morosini is the 2nd professional footballer in the last 4 weeks to collapse after suffering a heart attack - the other being of course Bolton's Fabrice Muamba who survived despite being "dead" for 78 minutes and is now making quite a remarkable recovery. As I said in an earlier blog, Muamba probably survived because of the quick action of the paramedics and players at White Hart Lane.

Ironically, it appears Morosini's journey to the hospital may have been delayed by the presence of a police car blocking the ambulance getting out from the stadium. The delay was possibly the worst thing that could happen and perhaps it may be no surprise that Morosini could not be saved. However, cardiac arrest can come in varying degrees and Morosini's may have been too fatal to recover from.

However, the number of cardiac arrest incidences in football matches has risen noticeably in recent times - or is it that these incidences are being recorded unlike in the past? Whatever the case, there have been some high profile incidences starting with the death of Marc-Vivien Foe in the 2003 Confederations Cup game between Cameroon and Colombia. Since Foe's death, we've lost Miklos Feher, Antonio Puerta & Daniel Jarque - amazingly, there have been quite a few incidences outside Europe of players dying as a result of heart attacks in the middle of a football game.

So why is it happening? Has professional football become too fast and physical to the point that it poses a health risk? After all aren't these men amongst the healthiest men in the world? The fact is you may think you're the healthiest and fittest person in the world but that doesn't make you immune to the early, untimely death. In fact, the very exertions that are getting them there might be in fact bringing forward their deaths as it appears their bodies aren't able to handle the exertions.

Thankfully, health and medicine has made huge advancements in recent times and there is greater awareness of such health pathologies. In fact, Muamba's health scare has certainly made plenty of his fellow professionals take health tests to check for any potential diseases that could be fatal on the pitch. Moreover, Aston Villa captain, Stilian Petrov's cancer was diagnosed as a result of one of these tests.

But yes the game has gotten faster, more physical thanks to professionalism and probably will continue to do so. But it certainly hasn't quite become the health risk that other sports like motorsport and skiing are. In fact, with careful screening and awareness, more people will know if taking up a profession in football is a good idea or not.

And unfortunately, Morosini's death is a reminder that our lives are short and we need to live them to the fullest.