At 32 years old
©IMAGO
South American football mourns Mathías Acuña. The Uruguayan striker died on Saturday at the age of 32, his club Mushuc Runa SC of Ecuador said. Acuña was found dead in a hotel in the city of Ambato that morning after arriving in the country the previous evening to begin pre-season training.
“All of us at Mushuc Runa are shocked by this incident,” said club president Luis Alfonso Chango. With eight goals in 15 games, Acuña played a major role in qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana in the Segunda Etapa. The Ecuadorian first division club then extended the attacker’s contract.
Acuña’s agent Johan Wilson confirmed to the Uruguayan sports newspaper Ovación that his protégé had taken his own life. The striker has been in a difficult personal situation for weeks after being reported by his ex-partner for gender-based violence and harshly targeted on social media. Acuña himself spoke of a toxic relationship that had lasted for years and protested his innocence in the charges.
“My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. Often we do not know the torment each of us is going through. “I was told that he was heavily attacked on social networks and that was very bad for him,” said Ecuador league president Miguel Ángel Loor. He appealed to fans, clubs and media to raise awareness of the importance of mental health in professional sport.
Acuña played 203 games (39 goals) in the Uruguayan top flight for CA Fénix, Liverpool FC, Montevideo Wanderers and El Tanque Sisley, among others. In Europe he was active for the Greek clubs AE Larisa and PAS Lamia in 1964. When he arrived in Ecuador on Friday, Acuña emphasized with a lot of optimism and commitment that he wanted to make his contribution to the shared success of Mushuc Runa. “We are here to fight and get three points every week. When the tournament starts, we will see what we are really capable of,” he said.
It is difficult to prevent depression and psychological problems. It is also difficult to self-diagnose whether it is a temporary “depressed mood” or a depression that requires treatment. Telephone assistance is provided nationwide day and night by professional telephone counseling staff. Can be reached at the following numbers (toll-free): 0800 / 111 0 111 or 0800 / 111 0 222. In Austria it is the emergency number 142, in Switzerland it is 143.
