- The 38-year-old former international was shot six times by an unknown assailant
Former Bolivian international footballer Sergio Jáuregui has been shot in cold blood during a friendly match in Mexico.
The 38-year-old former international was shot six times by an unknown attacker during a friendly match in the Santa Inés neighborhood of Cuautla, Morelos, at around 11 a.m. local time on Sunday.
Defender Jáuregui had reportedly stepped off the field during the match to rehydrate on the bench when a gunman charged at him and shot his unsuspecting victim at close range.
The gunman is said to have fled the scene on a motorbike that was waiting at the entrance to the site, leaving the footballer fatally injured.
EEmergency services and ambulances quickly arrived on the scene, but were unable to save the stricken player, who died almost immediately.
Images shared on social media showed a forensic investigation unit entering the field as they combed the scene for possible evidence.
Bolivian footballer Sergio Jauregui shot during a friendly match
Images shared on social media showed a forensic investigation unit entering the field as they combed the scene for possible evidence
Atlético de San Luis Rey, a team with which Jáuregui had an important playing history, expressed their sadness through a moving statement on their official Facebook page.
‘We regret the death of our former player and captain Sergio Jáuregui, who defended the colors of our team in the last Torneo de los Soles. We extend our deepest condolences to his family,” the heartfelt message said.
“We appreciate how you defended our badge and left everything on the field match after match. For that reason we will always carry you in our emblem and heart. Thank you very much to the ”Eternal Captain of Cuaula”, the message ended.
Jáuregui played most of his professional career in Bolivia, apart from a short-lived transfer to Swiss top team Yverdon-Sport FC in 2005, which lasted only a few months.
He earned some 13 caps for his national team but retired from professional sport in 2015, according to Diario AS, aged just 30.
The gunman is said to have fled the scene on a motorbike that was waiting for him at the entrance to the grounds, fatally wounding the footballer (aftermath of the shooting shown)
Jáuregui continued to make a positive impact on the sport following his retirement from top-flight football, embracing a new role as an ambassador, participating in several ‘semi-professional’ teams, while focusing on involving young people in football at grassroots level .
He became captivated by the Mexican football scene for a number of seasons at Club Deportivo Cuautla, also known as ‘Arroceros de Cuautla’.
His commitment to promoting football talent was reflected in the opening of a youth football school, according to the respected Mexican newspaper La Afición de Milenio.
Meanwhile, police are trying to determine the identity of the shooter and determine a motive for the cold-blooded murder.