Promising 18-year-old Millonarios midfielder Santiago Castrillon has died in a Bogota hospital one day after collapsing during a high-stakes Under-20 match against rivals Independiente Santa Fe.
Millonarios FC confirmed the tragic passing of 18-year-old Santiago Castrillon on Sunday following his collapse during a National U-20 Tournament fixture.
The attacking midfielder received immediate medical attention on the pitch before being transported to a specialist cardiovascular intensive care unit.
Despite exhaustive efforts by specialists, the club announced with “deep sorrow” that their young number 10 was unable to recover from the incident.
Tributes have flooded in for the Bucaramanga-born talent, who was already training regularly with the Millonarios first team.
Former coach Luis Eduardo Pedraza described him as an “excellent person” with “extraordinary” footballing qualities.
In a heartbreaking statement, the club remarked: “Today football comes to a stop. The blue heart is broken. Today pain overwhelms us, fills us with helplessness and sadness.”