Cristiano Júnior
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Cristiano Sebastião de Lima Júnior | ||
Date of birth | 5 July 1979 | ||
Place of birth | Brasília, Brazil | ||
Date of death | 5 December 2004 | (aged 25)||
Place of death | Bangalore, India | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Youth career | |||
Vasco da Gama | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1997–2001 | Vasco da Gama | 11 | (0) |
1997 | → Brasília (loan) | ||
1998 | → Garça Futebol Clube (loan) | ||
2001 | Olaria | ||
2001 | Sampaio Corrêa | ||
2002 | Criciúma | ||
2003 | América (RN) | ||
2003–2004 | East Bengal | 24 | (21) |
2004 | Dempo | 4 | (5) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Cristiano Sebastião de Lima Júnior (5 June 1979 – 5 December 2004) was a Brazilian footballer who played as a forward for Dempo, before an on-field collision in the Federation Cup finals, with the goalkeeper of his opposing team led to his death.
Career
Júnior, who was the highest-paid footballer in India, signed up for Dempo in September 2004. He had only recently moved to Dempo on a transfer from Kolkata's East Bengal where he had formed an elite strike partnership with India's ace footballer Baichung Bhutia in helping his team win the league title in the 2003-2004 season and reach the knock-out stages of the 2004 AFC Cup.
Death
Júnior collided with Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Subrata Pal, in the 78th minute of the Federation Cup finals. While scoring his second goal after chasing the ball into the box, he collided with the keeper, staggered away and then collapsed.[1] Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. The game continued after Junior was taken off the field. He was dead on arrival at Hosmat Hospital, hospital officials said that no doctors were requested to be at the ground during the Federation Cup match, "At no time, was the hospital requested to provide doctors, and no agreement or contract for doctors was made."[2] Dempo won the Cup 2-0. According to the autopsy performed in the Bangalore Hospital (where Junior was moved from the stadium), the footballer died because of a heart stroke. The report also added that Júnior was not injured at the moment of the arrival to the health center.[3]
Dempo announced that they would retire Junior's #10 shirt.[4] It filed a complaint of criminal negligence against Subrata Pal, Hosmat Hospital, and the Karnataka State Football Association, the local organizers. Pal was suspended for 2 months.[5]
Controversy
The fatal match was played in Sree Kanteervaa Stadium which is a stones-throw away from Mallya Hospital yet he was taken to Hosmat Hospital which is 20 km away from the venue. Pictures showed an unnamed individual kneeling on Cristiano Jr abdomen while trying to resuscitate him.
Honours
Individual
- 2003-04 National Football League (India): Golden Boot (15 goals)[6]
References
- ^ After the collision with the goalkeeper there were no doctors on the pitch to provide urgent medical assistance on YouTube
- ^ "When Cristiano collapsed, no doctor was around", IndiaInfo.com, 10 Dec 2004 (Archive)
- ^ "El brasileño Cristiano Júnior murió de un ataque cardíaco", As, 10 Dec 2004
- ^ "The Last Goal - Remembering Cristiano Junior" at Feverpitch, Dec 5, 2012 Archived 2014-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Hindu : Sport / Football : Two-month suspension for Subrata Paul
- ^ "From the History Book". All India Football Federation. the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
External links
- 1979 births
- 2004 deaths
- Footballers from Rio de Janeiro (city)
- Brazilian footballers
- Brazilian expatriate footballers
- CR Vasco da Gama players
- Olaria Atlético Clube players
- Criciúma Esporte Clube players
- Sampaio Corrêa Futebol Clube players
- América Futebol Clube (RN) players
- Expatriate footballers in India
- Dempo S.C. players
- Sport deaths in India
- Association football players who died while playing
- SC East Bengal players
- Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in India
- Association football forwards
- Brazilian football forward, 1980s birth stubs