5 footballers who were brutally murdered

Football is the most popular game in the world. Like cricket is treated as more than a sport in India, most countries do the same with football.Sometimes the passion for the game brings out the worst in the fans. Emotions turn into violence and the game suffers as a result. Such behaviour is completely uncalled for and despite the high stakes, the fact remains that football is just a game.Players are often recipients of abuse. But there are have been a few instances when the abuse became physical, and ultimately led to death. In a tragic incident which unfolded in the tiny Central American nation of El Salvador on Sunday, former national football player Alfredo Pacheco has been shot dead, and this wasn’t the first time. Here are five footballers who were murdered.

#5 Senzo Meyiwa

Senzo Meyiwa’s career had seen a meteoric rise since breaking into the South African national team last year. He had not only claimed the No 1 spot but was even made captain in September.

But on 26th October 2014, less than 24 hours after playing for the Orlando Pirates in their 4-1 win over Ajax Cape Town, he was shot dead. Reports say that Meyiwa was attempting to protect his girlfriend during a robbery at her home near Johannesburg. He was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

The shot-stopper had been in incredible form for both club and country. He led the Orlando Pirates to last season's African Champions League final and had captained the Bafana Bafana in their last four matches of the AFCON qualifiers without conceding a goal.

The South African police have arrested two people in connection with the murder that has left the footballing world in a state of shock.

#4 Tommy Ball

On November 10, 1923, Aston Villa played Notts County in a first division game. 23 year old centre-back Tommy Ball gave another commanding performance at the heart of the Aston Villa defence as they won the game 1-0 to go up to third in the table.

Sadly, that was the last game he ever played.

A day later he was shot dead in his own garden by his neighbour and landlord over a petty argument. His killer George Stagg was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, but the sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment.

Ball started his career at Newcastle but left them without playing a single game to join Aston Villa. He established himself at Villa as one of the league’s best defenders and was on the verge of getting an England call up.

Sadly fans never got to see Tommy Ball fulfill his footballing promise.

#3 Lutz Eigendorf

Lutz Eigendorf was one of East Germany’s brightest talents in the late 1970s and was capped by the national squad at the age of only 22.

The midfielder started his career at East German club BFC Dynamo but controversially defected to West Germany to play for FC Kaiserslautern for which he was banned for a year by the UEFA.

He was very outspoken after his defection and openly criticised East Germany in the western media. He left Kaiserslautern to join Eintracht Braunschweig for who he had played just 8 games when tragedy struck and he was gravely injured in a traffic accident. He died at the hospital two days later.

Upon the re-unification of Germany and reopening of classified files it was found that Eigendorf was actually murdered by the Stasi, who were East Germany's notorious secret state police.

#2 Luciano Re Cecconi

Luciano Re Cecconi had established himself as one of the finest box-to-box midfielders in Italy and helped his club Foggia earn promotion to the promised land of Serie A.

Nicknamed ‘The Blond Angel’ due to his blond hair, his superb performances earned him a move to Lazio where he was instrumental in them being crowned league champions just 2 years later. The sky seemed the limit for Re Cecconi as he was called up to the Italy squad for the 1974 World Cup.

But he lost his life in extremely unfortunate circumstances.

Known for being something of a joker within the squad, he and a teammate decided to play a practical joke on the owner of a jewellery shop by pretending that they were robbing it. But things turned ugly when the startled owner, whose shop had been broken into a few weeks ago, pulled out a shotgun and shot Re Cecconi in the chest.

He died 30 minutes later at the age of just 28.

He may be gone but his iconic status among Lazio fans will last forever.

#1 Andrs Escobar

Andrés Escobar was the star of the Colombian national team. He had caught the eye of European clubs and a big money move was on the cards. He led Colombia into the 1994 World Cup as one of the favorites to lift the trophy but they went into the last group game against hosts USA needing a win to keep their hopes alive.

But the defender’s 34th minute own goal signaled the end of those hopes. He stretched to intercept a cross but only succeeded in putting the ball into the back of his own net. Colombia lost 2-1 and were knocked out.

Refusing to give in to self pity, he told the media “See you soon, because life doesn’t end here.”

Unfortunately for Escobar, his life did end there. On 2nd July 1994, back home in Colombia, he was shot six times outside a nightclub and pronounced dead 45 minutes after being brought to the hospital. A Colombian cartel were said to be behind his killing after they bet heavily on the team and were upset at the loss.

Over 120,000 people attended his funeral.

Here is the infamous own goal that led to Escobar being killed.

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Edited by Staff Editor