RIVER Plate star Elias Gomez’s mum and sister have been killed in a horror car crash in Argentina.
The football club shared the tragic news on Twitter earlier this morning.
The star’s mum, Zunilda, 66, and sister, Melani, 25, were reportedly killed instantly in a road crash that involved two cars and a truck with a trailer.
The horror accident took place in Ramallo, Buenos Aires.
The pair’s car was left crushed under the truck’s trailer while the other vehicle involved was left overturned on the highway as they tried to avoid the crash.
Local media has reported that the truck driver, a 44-year-old man, was arrested by Ramallo authorities on suspicion of manslaughter.
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Zunilda and Melani had been returning from celebrating River Plate winning the league title with Elias, who plays as a left-back for the club.
The Buenos Aires giants won the elite Argentina’s Professional League Primera Division title with two match days to spare – finishing with a 3-1 home win over Estudiantes.
The football club wrote on social media: “We embrace and accompany our player Elias Gomez in pain at the unfortunate news of the death of his mother Zunilda and his sister Melani in an accident.
“Strength, Elias. All River is with you”.
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It comes after Melani wrote “We will meet again” in an eerily-prescient Instagram post dedicated to her late boyfriend, Luciano Biglione, in December.
She wrote: “Chanchito, today I still don’t understand the hours or the days; only that I no longer have you here.
“Only pain and emptiness. I don’t know how the days will go on without you. For two years, I woke up every day to your ‘good morning, love’ and fell asleep beside you.
“My companion for everything, the one who supported me and followed me everywhere, the one who taught me to live differently, to slow down, to enjoy the simple things, to be grateful for everything we had.
“I don’t know how to go on, my love; I am so grateful for what we lived. I always thanked you for sharing your most precious treasure with me, your beautiful Matu.
“I hold on to the peace of knowing that we always said everything we felt, with the intensity we lived it, with mate tea anywhere, from our trips, from sharing everything with Matu, from our endless conversations, from the teachings, from the mistakes.
“Everything we experienced was what life wanted us to experience, and I will remember it forever. We will meet again, you know?
“And we will do everything that is still pending. I pray not to forget your caresses, your kisses, the feeling your ‘I love you’ from the heart gave me, those hugs that went beyond the skin.
“I love you with my entire soul, my love. A part of me went with you forever.”
Fans across social media have paid tribute to the athlete’s late mum and sister with one writing: “It’s amazing how life can change from one moment to the next.
“Football takes a backseat when these kinds of tragedies happen. Strength to him and his entire family. An immense pain to have to communicate this news. RIP”.
And a River Plate fan account on Twitter said: “All of River accompanies Elias Gómez in these difficult times for him, may the Club provide him with everything he needs and support him at this time”.
Elias, 29, began his career in professional football in 2006 after joining the Rosario Central youth team.
He quickly shot through the ranks and in 2016, he began playing for Defensa y Justicia, playing twelve matches before returning to Rosario in June 2017.
In January 2019, Elias joined Argentinos Juniors on loan and scored his first senior goal the following month against Estudiantes.
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In January 2020, the club purchased Elias permanently as the defender signed a three-and-a-half year contract with Argentinos.
At the end of January 2022, the star joined River Plate on a deal until the end of 2025.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
