Soccer Club to Be Charged With Murder
 

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...serginho_death

By PETER MUELLO, Associated Press Writer

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Police plan to file murder charges against Sao Caetano club officials for the death of defenseman Serginho, who collapsed on the field and died of heart failure last month.



Police said Friday that the club's president and doctor knew Serginho had heart trouble, but let him play anyway.

Murder charges will be filed against president Nairo Ferreira de Souza and doctor Paulo Fortes, police said. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison.

"They knew the player's problem, and confirmed they knew," police chief investigator Guaracy Moreira Filho said.

Serginho, 30, was examined in February at the Incor Heart Institute. Moreira Filho said doctors told him and Sao Caetano officials that he had cardiac problems and would be "lucky" not to drop dead on the field.

Sao Caetano's attorney, Luiz Fernando Pacheco, said the club was surprised by the police decision and never was informed that Serginho had a potentially fatal condition.

"Incor never told the club about the situation," he said. "There was just a note saying he wasn't fit to practice sports."

Serginho collapsed early in the second half of a game against Sao Paulo on Oct. 27. He was pronounced dead at a hospital hours later.

Fortes, the team doctor, was quoted in the daily Folha de Sao Paulo as saying that he knew Serginho had a heart anomaly but was never told the player's life would be in danger.

Family members also said they had no idea how serious Serginho's condition was.

"It wasn't anything serious, at least not that we knew," Serginho's father-in-law, Luzio Nunes, told the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo. "If he had a serious problem, we would never allow him to play."

That is just so wrong, and I think that Serginho would be the first to agree with me!!

He had a heart condition, he knew he was playing with a handicap. He certainly could have asked to play under 90 minutes, or even not play at all. He probably died doing one of the things he loved best!

As for the club's responsibility, it sounds as if they treated Serginho like an adult, and let him make his own decision. Horrors!!!