Daniel Jarque, captain of football club Espanyol, has died of a heart attack after a training session at the clubs pre-season camp in Coverciano, Italy.
Italian paramedics worked with club doctors to try and revive the twenty-six year old but were unable to despite working on him for an hour.
The Spanish clubs official website gave this statement, "Tragedy struck Espanyol and the family of Dani Jarque this evening. The blanquiazul player died from a cardiac arrest. The doctor Cervera carried out CPR on the player and used a defibrillator, which showed that the arrest was non responsive."
"After a few minutes the first ambulance arrived from the Florence emergency services, who tried again with the defibrillator they carried."
"The medical services continued carrying out CPR, administering adrenaline and atropine for an hour, but the player's heart did not react, so finally that determined his death."
"RCD Espanyol, broken with pain, wish to put themselves at the absolute disposition of the family of our captain Dani Jarque, to whom go our warmest thoughts."
Espanyol have suspended their tour of Italy and will fly back to Barcelona. They were due to play Bologna on Sunday.
Daniel Jarque, who had only been handed captaincy this summer, joined Espanyol when he was 12 and made his debut in 2002.
His death comes two years after the death of Sevilla defender, Antonio Puerta, who died of heart failure, aged 22, after collapsing in the opening game of the Spanish La Liga season.