BOLIVIAN football is in mourning following the death of a football star, club president and manager who were all related to coronavirus.
The 25-year-old Deibert Frans Roman Guzman, who starred for second division University of Trinidad, lost his battle with Covid-19 earlier this week after several weeks in hospital.
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Bolivian youth international Deibert Frans Roman Guzman has become the first player to die from coronavirus in his country aged 25Credit: Golder’s News & Sport Ltd. (Golders)
That loss added even further heartache to his family after the earlier death of his father Belizario Roman, the former president of the club, and his uncle Luis Carmelo Roman, manager of Deportivo Perejique.
The footballing trio were all from Beni, one of the states most devastated in Bolivia by coronavirus.
They shared the same house in the Paititi neighborhood, with Belizario’s wife and two daughters, according to reports.
Guzman is a former Bolivia youth international and previously enjoyed a spell with top-flight side Nacional Potosi.
The Bolivian Football Federation led the tributes to Guzman after he became the first player to die from the virus in the country.
Angel Suarez, the President of the Bolivian Football Federation, said: “The Bolivian Football Federation expresses its heartfelt condolences to the friend and family of Deibert Roman Guzman, and we ask God for strength in these hard moments.
“This illness has taken recognised sportspeople. It is regrettable to give this type of information.
“As an association, we are dismayed at what is happening in the country and in the world from a virus that has taken many lives. Coronavirus is hitting Beni. We ask people to follow the Government’s orders.”
Beni, which has a population of 420,000, so far has recorded over 1,200 cases of Covid-19 and 77 deaths.
According to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins University, Bolivia has suffered 8,387 cases of coronavirus and 293 related deaths.
The Bolivian Football Federation led the tributes to Guzman after he became the first player to die from the virus in the countryCredit: Golders/@FBF_BO
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
