Ansu Fati apologises to Cadiz fans for scoring after medical emergency in stands

Barcelona forward Ansu Fati apologised to the Cadiz fans after scoring his side's third in their La Liga clash on Saturday.

While not a usually done thing, Fati's goal had come not long after a fan suffered a heart attack in the stadium. At 2-0, the fixture was brought to a halt when players noticed something wrong in the crowd.

Cadiz keeper, Jeremias Ledesma, sprinted to the substitute bench to fetch medical equipment before hurtling back to the stand in question and launching the aid in. Another Cadiz player, Jose Maria, could be seen helping a member of staff rush a stretcher through the stands to the area in need.

Red Cross staff were present as the fan was revived in the stands. The supporter was then taken away in an ambulance and is now in a stable condition.

The contest was paused for around an hour while the emergency was seen to. Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo and Cadiz star Fali could both be seen praying on the pitch.

After around 30 minutes the referee made the call for the players to return to their dressing room and await further instructions. Around half an hour later, the Barcelona and Cadiz stars were allowed to return and begin a brief warm up.

The game soon got underway and only moments later Ansu Fati had the ball in the back of the net. It seemed harsh given the circumstances and, as such, the 19-year-old apologised to the home fans after a brief celebration with Robert Lewandowski.

Ousmane Dembele compounded the home fans' misery by burying a fourth just after that. Frenkie De Jong and Lewandowski had scored earlier in the clash to put Barcelona top of the table. Real Madrid's win at Mallorca on Sunday, however, restored their two point lead.

Speaking after the fixture, Barcelona boss Xavi said: "It was not a nice situation for anyone. Health and people's lives always come before anything else. Luckily they were able to revive the person and they are healthy and safe.

"We felt, both teams, that it was right to restart the game. We hope the supporter recovers quickly. If it had gone another way, we would have suspended the match."

He added: "There was a moment when they told us there was nothing they could do, we were hearing a lot of things. In the end, it's a humanity issue. We are talking about human life and it has to come before football. Among everyone, we tried to help and we hope they are OK."

Cadiz's goalkeeper was widely praised for his role in helping the supporter, and the club later released a statement. It read: In the 81st minute of the match against Barcelona, the game was paused as a result of a health alert in the stands. The protocol established with the medical services quickly became operational, assisting a man who had suffered a cardiac arrest.

"A defibrillator was dispatched to the stands to attempt resuscitation. At the same time, Barcelona offered a second defibrillator in case it was necessary. This defibrillator was taken to the stands by the players themselves.

"The resuscitation attempt was successful and the fan was transferred to the ICU of the Puerta del Mar Hospital, where he remains hospitalised.

"In addition, one of the camera operators fainted at the same time. He was also quickly treated by the stadium's medical staff without major consequences.

"Cadiz would like to thank the exemplary behaviour of the fans during this situation, as well as the members of the medical and security teams for their prompt action so that the incident had a happy ending."

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