Rest in peace, Hrvoje Custic
It's a needless and senseless tragedy.
Last Saturday, Hrvoje Custic, a 24 year old winger for Croatian first division side, NK Zadar, is running by the touchline and after losing balance following a challenge his momentum takes him off the pitch and into a sickening head-on collision with a concrete wall criminally situated just two metres off the touchline.
Custic immediately had a seizure on the pitch and after five days in a coma died of serious brain injury on Thursday.
The circumstances of Custic's passing are shocking. I can't believe the gross recklessness of having a concrete wall just yards from the touchline. It was inviting a tragedy and now one has taken place. It is clear that the Croatian football authorities must take immediate action to ensure any such repeats of this tragedy are removed.
The Prva Liga fixtures have been postponed this weekend in tribute to Hrvoje Custic.
We at EFT wish to pass on our condolences to the family and friends of Hrvoje Custic. May he rest in peace.
posted by T at 4/06/2008 12:57:00 pm
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4 Comments:
Echoing those sentiments, T.
A concrete wall yards from the touchline, for what reason? And did someone need to have a tragedy occur to realise a structure, in the first place, being so near the pitch, where players go so fast for the ball and do end up off the pitch, even into advertising boards, would be very dangerous? It bewilders me.
You dont have that in Europe, why anywhere else? Another senseless passing of a professional which should never have happened.
RedsMan.
4/06/2008 1:56 pm
Redsman, I share your questions and bewilderment.
Any footballer dying on the pitch is a tragedy and unfortunately this season we have posted on EFT on the passing of Antonia Puerta and Phil O'Donnell. But the passing of Custic strikes me slightly differently and with a sense of anger given this accident clearly should have been foreseen and consequently avoided.
4/06/2008 9:18 pm
GunnerPete says.....I was choked to read of this lads death. It is lie so many others ( on the roads & druggies ) so avoidable, but now common.
My heart goes out to his family and friends, and his mates at the club.
It also puts in to perspective what is important in life. The dissapointment from the game last night suddenly evaporated when reading this news.
4/09/2008 10:30 am
Well put GP.
4/09/2008 11:15 am
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