[Archive 2009-08-08] Spanish football captain dies at 26

Historical archive — originally published 2009-08-08. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Dani Jarque, the Captain of the Spanish football team Espanyol, has died from a heart attack at the age of 26.

Jarque was practicing during pre-season training at Coverciano in Italy earlier in the day. He was staying in the team hotel ahead of a match planned for Sunday against Bolonia.

Jarque was sharing a room with another player, Ferran Corominas who says Jarque was talking to his girlfriend when he went to dinner on Saturday night. When Jarque fell silent over the phone, his girlfriend called the hotel who alerted Corminas. He then went back to the hotel room and found Jarque unconscious. Although he was taken to a local hospital, all efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Jarque had been named captain of the side last July, replacing Raúl Tamudo. He joined team Espanyol at the young age of 12 and played his first match in 2002.

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