Mourning in football: Santiago Fredes, Luján manager, has died | OneFootball

The team that plays in Primera C shared the sad news through a message on social media. He had been hospitalized after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

Argentine football is experiencing hours of deep sorrow following the confirmation of the death of Santiago Fredes, coach of Club Luján, who was only 35 years old and had led the team to the playoffs of the Primera C. The club announced this Tuesday that the coach had been declared brain dead.

“Club Luján communicates with profound pain and sadness that our head coach Santiago Fredes has been declared brain dead,” the club said in a statement released on its social media.

Fredes had been hospitalized since November 24. According to the outlet Ladrán Sancho, doctors had diagnosed him with “an autoimmune disease that suddenly and unexpectedly deteriorated his condition.” Days earlier, the club had confirmed that the coach was going through a “delicate situation.”

The coach had renewed his contract just over a month ago, with a deal in place until 2026, after a season in which he led the team to the quarterfinals of the playoffs, where they lost to Sportivo Barracas. His work was highly valued at the club.

Before starting his career as a coach, Fredes had a career as a footballer. He played for Flandria, Defensores Unidos, Excursionistas, and for Luján itself, where he retired and later took on the role of youth divisions coordinator until taking over as head coach of the professional squad in 2024.

The news caused a deep shock and several clubs expressed their condolences. From Flandria, one of the clubs where he played, they posted: “We deeply regret the passing of Santiago Fredes. ‘El Pulga’ wore our jersey in 2011 and was a great figure at Club Luján as a player, coordinator, and coach. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and friends.”

Lower division football bids farewell to a young coach who had built strong bonds wherever he went and whose future promised even more growth.

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