Goalie passes away on the field only seconds after save a penalty

Arne Espel, a Belgian goalkeeper who played for Winkle Sport B, passed away a short time after saving a penalty for his team.

At Winkel Sport's home field in Sint-Eloois-Winkel, West Flanders Province, 25-year-old Arne Espel participated in a match against Westrozebeke in West Brabant's second provincial level. Before unexpectedly collapsing on the field and falling to the ground during the football game, Espeel saved the penalty with a brilliant save.

Emergency personnel arrived quickly to provide a defibrillator to the man after he collapsed to the ground, but the 25-year-old was pronounced dead shortly after being brought to the hospital. Even though Espel's death's cause is still unknown, an autopsy was planned for Monday to find out what killed Espel.

In a statement following the incident, the Belgian team said: "Winkel Sport is in very deep sadness at the sudden demise of goalkeeper Arne Espeel."

We send our deepest sympathies to Arne's friends and family during this difficult time. For the time being, football is taking a back seat.

The ball was still in play, said Winkel Sport B assistant Stefaan Dewerchin. As soon as our goalkeeper attempted to stand up to receive the ball, he fell. It was quite upsetting to watch. Following the incident, everyone in the team took a shower. It was a really severe blow to learn that our goalkeeper had passed away.

"I believe several players are still unsure about just what took place,"