Football mourns Enzo, son of Julio Sergio, and Verreth’s newborn | OneFootball

Two tragic news stories have shaken the football world in recent hours, bringing pain and dismay to two very different football communities, united by the same, profound sadness.

Football mourns two young lives cut short: Enzo, son of Julio Sergio, and the newborn of Matthias Verreth have died

Julio Sergio announces the death of his son Enzo: “He is at peace, surrounded by love” A heartbreaking announcement, made through an Instagram story, has shocked fans and enthusiasts: Julio Sergio, former Roma goalkeeper, revealed the passing of his son Enzo, who died at just 15 years old after a long and courageous battle against a brain tumor.

The boy had been fighting the illness since 2020, and in 2022 underwent a delicate surgical procedure. In the following months, Enzo became a symbol in Brazil of the fight against childhood cancer, also thanks to the support of numerous football stars such as Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Totti, De Rossi, and Buffon.

Just a few days ago, a video went viral showing Julio Sergio shaving his head together with his son, who was preparing for yet another round of chemotherapy. Last Sunday, the former goalkeeper publicly spoke about the irreversibility of the situation, with profound and dignified words:

“Enzo is in a medically induced coma, at peace, surrounded by us parents, his family, and by you. He feels no pain, nor discomfort.”

The AS Roma club, where Julio Sergio played from 2006 to 2011 and again in the 2012-13 season, expressed its condolences with a public message:

“Julio, we stand by your side in this moment of unimaginable pain. All of AS Roma is with your family, all Romanisti embrace you.”

Messages of affection and support also came from Francesco Totti, who wrote on Instagram: “Goodbye Enzo. Rest in peace.”

Bari in shock: the one-year-old son of new signing Verreth has died A second, terrible piece of news has struck Bari Calcio and in particular midfielder Matthias Verreth, who arrived in Puglia just a few weeks ago.

The Belgian footballer, 27, received the tragic news on Sunday of the death of his second child, a boy just one year old, who died suddenly in Belgium, where his family was staying.

Verreth, who was at a training camp with the team in Roccaraso, was visibly distraught and immediately left the camp. He was accompanied to the airport by Bari president Luigi De Laurentiis, in a gesture of deep respect and solidarity.

The club decided to end the training camp early, canceling the friendly match scheduled for Tuesday against Cavese.

The faces of the players and technical staff, led by Fabio Caserta, reflect the pain and shock of a group rallying around their teammate in a moment of indescribable suffering. The causes of the child’s death have not yet been disclosed.

Football united in grief

Two such profound family losses bring to light the human side of football, made up of emotions, fragility, and tragedies that transcend the boundaries of sport.

In these hours, the entire football world – from clubs to fans, from the media to former teammates – is coming together around Julio Sergio and Matthias Verreth, two fathers who have lost what is most precious: a child.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.