Francisco Naval Perez, a 24-year-old Spanish footballer, was tragically stabbed to death on Saturday afternoon in Cadiz, a southern Spanish coastal town.
The former Chipiona CF player was attacked with a large knife and was rushed to Puerta del Mar hospital where he sadly passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning. According to the Spanish Civil Guard, the attack is believed to have been random, with no apparent link between the suspect and Perez.
The suspect, a 20-year-old man with no criminal record, has been arrested in connection with Perez’s death, but has not yet been named.
Perez, a father to a young daughter, played for Andalucian amateur club Chipiona CF in Spain’s Segunda Andaluza Senior league. The club expressed their deep condolences to the young footballer’s family and colleagues with an emotional statement on social media.
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The statement read: “Well, we don’t even have words to begin with, this seems like a nightmare, but unfortunately it’s real, our player Paco Naval Perez has left us, he died this morning fighting between life and death. Paco was only 24 years old, [he had] a lifetime ahead, our condolences to all his family and colleagues from our club, guys, strength in these difficult times. Rest in peace.”
The Spanish police continue to investigate the matter and are trying to establish a motive for the attack. The tragic and senseless death of this young footballer has left the local community in shock and has once again highlighted the issue of violence in society.
