Roma defender Ndicka released from hospital after in-game collapse

The defender was rushed to the hospital after collapsing against Udinese on Sunday

Roma defender Evan Ndicka has been released from the hospital after a frightening collapse during Sunday’s match against Udinese.

Ndicka bent down and fell to the turf during the second half of the match with what Roma later said was a “medical emergency.” The 24-year-old was rushed to the hospital, and the match was abandoned with the score tied 1-1 at Bluenergy Stadium in Udine.

“Evan is feeling better and is in good spirits,” Roma posted on X in the aftermath of the match. “He will remain in the hospital for further observations. Forza Evan!”

On Monday, the club provided another update, saying that test had come out negative for “cardiac pathologies” and that he had suffered a collapsed lung.

According to a club statement:

Following acute precordial pain and atypical alternations in the EKG administered in the first aid room at the stadium, the player Evan Ndicka was hospitalized at the Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital in Udine.

First and second-level cardiological tests were administered that were negative for cardiac pathologies. In light of the last tests undergone this morning, the medical situation is compatible with a thoracic trauma with minimal left pneumothorax [collapsed lung].

The player was discharged and will undergo additional tests in Rome.

AS Roma wishes to thank Udinese Calcio, referee Mr. Pairetto, the public present at the stadium in Udine and the medical and health staff at the Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital in Udine for their great professionalism and availability.

In those frantic minutes of apprehension, we all together demonstrated sports values and placed protecting life at first place.

Ndicka was born in Paris, but plays internationally for Ivory Coast after representing France at various youth levels. He joined Roma as a free agent prior to the current season after spending five seasons in Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt.

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Napoli crowned Serie A champions, ending 33-year wait

It is party time in Naples

After 33 long years, Napoli is back on top in Italy.

The Neapolitan club sealed their third-ever Serie A crown with a 1-1 draw at Udinese on Thursday.

The result pushed them up to 80 points, one more than anyone else in the league can manage despite there still being five rounds of matches to play.

With frenzied Napoli fans packing large swaths of the stands at Udinese’s Stadio Friuli, Victor Osimhen’s 52nd-minute equalizer gave them the draw they needed to go beyond the reach of second-place Lazio and clinch the club’s 10th top-tier trophy.

Despite being the away team on the day, the full-time whistle saw fans in light blue and white hop out of the stands to celebrate on the pitch with players and team staff.

The scenes were similar in Naples. Fans began spontaneously celebrating in the street, while across the city fireworks and flares were being lit up to start what figures to be a multi-day party.

Long road back to the top of Serie A

Napoli has had a long climb back up to the top in Italy. After winning Serie A twice during Diego Maradona’s years with the club, they fell on hard times, suffering relegation to Serie B in 1998. After a brief spell as a yo-yo club, they dropped all the way to Serie C1 in 2004 for two seasons before beginning a healthier trajectory in 2007.

Under Luciano Spalletti — who had never won the league despite winning more matches than anyone else in Serie A over the last 29 years — Napoli clinched a spot in the Champions League last season before this year’s march to the championship. Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have sparked Serie A’s most prolific attack, while Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Kim Min-jae have bolstered a defense that has conceded fewer goals than any other team in the league.

Naturally it was Osimhen who scored the goal that finished the job, showing composure to fire a rebound home early in the second half after Udinese had taken a first-half lead.

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FC Cincinnati strikes $10 million deal with Udinese for Brenner transfer

The Brazilian exploded for 18 goals and six assists in 2022

FC Cincinnati has agreed to a club-record deal to sell striker Brenner to Serie A side Udinese.

Brenner has signed a contract with the Italian club through 2028.

The Athletic reports Cincinnati will receive an initial fee of $10 million, plus performance-based add-ons as well as a percentage of any future sale.

Brenner, 23, will remain with Cincinnati until July, with the club saying his final game will be on July 1 against the New England Revolution at TQL Stadium.

“We’re extremely happy for Brenner that he’s able to make this move and play in one of the biggest leagues in Europe,” FC Cincinnati general manager Chris Albright said in a club statement.

“Our ultimate goal at FC Cincinnati is to win games for our incredible fans, and we understand that developing players is central to attracting the best talent. This is a significant transfer for our club and is a testament to everything our staff has done in the past year and a half. Our ownership will continue to give us the resources to compete and this transfer only adds to that commitment.”

Cincinnati signed Brenner in 2021 from São Paulo FC for a fee of $13 million, a significant investment for the franchise ahead of its third MLS season.

The Brazilian finished his first season in the league with eight goals and then exploded for 18 goals and six assists in 2022, getting himself on the radar of several teams in Europe.

With six games left, Udinese currently sits in ninth place in the Serie A table.

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