Dani Jarque, Espanyol captain RIP
By: Mando | August 8th, 2009
When you’re 26 years old and the starting central defender for an up and coming club like Espanyol, recently made Captain of the squad in fact under Mauricio Pochettino, you shouldn’t be expecting that it can all be taken away from you, that you could go to your hotel room on a tour of Italy for some Italian friendlies, in Coverciano just outside of Florence, preparing for a game against Bologna this weekend, and you’re talking with a family member on the phone, you faint and hours later you’re gone? His room-mate Ferran Corominas found him unconscious. They called the emergency services and spent hours trying to revive him. This shouldn’t be. 26 year olds shouldn’t be having heart attacks.
Your life should be ahead of you, the greatest part of your footballing career being lived in the moment, a dream that every fan has of stepping onto the pitch in the city where you were born for a club you have been with practically since the day you picked up your professional boots. Daniel Jarque was born in Barcelona in on the first of January in 1986. He gew up in Saint Boi de Llobregat in the southwestern suburbs of the city. Catalan born and bred. He played for the local club, he attracted attention from many other clubs but he signed for Espanyol. He came through the cantera, playing sporadically, subbing with the first team but waiting his turn and his time in the filial, the youth team. He played 173 games for the club, netting 8 precious goals in the process. He was a team leader, instrumental in the club’s 2006 Copa del Rey win against Real Zaragoza in the Santiago Bernabeu and also in the club’s improbable run in the subsequent season, when they came a hair’s breadth from winning the 2007 UEFA Cup against Sevilla. He clawed and suffered with the club when they struggled in 2007-2008 and when they staved off relegation last year. He was a team leader, and when the club were looking for the new face of the club, one to lead them out at the Nou Sarria, they chose Dani Jarque. This is a devastating loss for the club.
More information will come out. The club will honor his memory, like Sevilla honored the memory of their fallen player Antonio Puerta who himself died too young, and people will come out calling for better testing of players for pre-existing heart conditions, like what Ruben de la Red suffered last year for Real Madrid. His friends and family will mourn. We fans will send our condolensces and write our blogs. Life will go on. But for the moment just stop and think. A life has ended, no better or worse than any other in our existence, but one that will be missed nontheless.
Rest in peace Daniel Jarque, age 26.
Category: Espanyol Team News
Comments
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may his soul rest in peace
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Es increible que un joven de 26 años se muera de esa manera, ni habia empezado su vida, un dia muy triste para todos, no solamente para nosotros los pericos
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Enjoy every moment of your life.
R.I.P. Dani Jarque. Thank you for everything.
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R.I.P. Dani Jarque we will miss you
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Thanks for the beautiful sport you give us. Rest in peace friend. Condolations to all family,friends and the fans of Espanyol.You never walk alone. The fans of Ajax Amsterdam F side.
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from the Barca Offside,
i extend my condolances to his family, his team and his fans.
may he R.I.P.
26, its a shame.
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on behalf of everyone over at the Inter Offside we extend our condolences to you on your great loss. today is a sad day indeed. RIP
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mis condolencias para su familia , para su equipo y los fanaticos….D.E.P.
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Thats really sad..Condolences to his family…
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Awful, awful. My sincere condolences.
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Terrible thing. Condolences from myself and the rest of the Scotland contingent at the Offside, to his family, friends, and everyone at Espanyol. When your team came to Glasgow for the UEFA Cup final, everyone I know in the city had nothing but praise for the club and its fans, and we’re all sad for you today.
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Really shocked
RIP Dani..
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The parallels to Antonio Puerta are eerie. Same symptoms, was feeling bad during the day, collapsed and died. He partner was apparently 7 months pregnant with his child. Heartbreaking. I’m still shocked.
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RIP
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Lo siento muy para su pĂ©rdida y mis pensamientos están con usted en este tiempo difĂcil.
los PaĂses Bajos, Vitesse Arnhem
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what the hell is going on in Spain? i only hope that we start testing more frequently to avoid these tragedies, as you suggested.
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Rest in peace, Dani. Condolences to his family, friends, and all that loved him.
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@Richard: I don’t think this is a problem with testing in Spain per se. This very thing happened in Scotland to Phil O’Donnell the Motherwell captain, to Marc Vivien Foe the ex-Manchester City player, and Miklos Fehrer of Benfica all within the last 10 years. I even remember watching basketball player Hank Gathers collapse in the same manner when I was younger too. They all had the same disorder hypertropic cardiomyopathy. The problem is too that it’s hard to diagnose and the genetic test is still in its infancy. Hopefully this is the last time something like this happens.
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Even though Im a Barca man through and though,when things as serious as this happen all of the football world mourns at all levels.R.I.P.God bless I’m sure that he would have made a fine captain.
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@Robert: You’re right. When things like this happen there are no colors, badges, flags, flares or banners between supporters, or at least there shouldn’t be. When Antonio Puerta died everyone said that all Spain were now Sevillistas. I think alot of people will be pulling for us even a little bit this year considering what happened.
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Rest in peace, Dani.
For the supporters of Espanyol: keep remembering Jarque forever. In Holland (FC Utrecht) we lost our player David Di Tommaso after a heart-attack. We had a beautiful ceremony, a football match to raise money for his wife and children and after years we still sing and shout his name in the stadium.
Keep Jarque alive in your songs and prayers! -
its a big lose for football but on the first place for his family and friends! i hope he can rest in peace!
we will always remember you!!1 day we will see you again!
R.I.P.
from the netherlands
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RIP Dani Jarques. I can’t believe this happened again.
Real Madrid remembered you with a full minute of silence before their match and their armbands.
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R.I.P Dani Jarque we´ll miss you and never forget you thanks for everything you gave us
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It is so heartbreaking , but they say
the’Good Die Young’.Same happened with Antoni Puerta.
R.I.P DANI , we’ll miss you.
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