By Philip O’Connor
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Swedish club AIK remembered former keeper Ivan Turina with an unusual minute’s silence ahead of their league game with Sirius on Saturday, encouraging fans to be more aware of the kind of heart condition that took the Croatian’s life 10 years ago.
Fans were instructed to spend the silent minute before the game at the Friends Arena doing one of three things – downloading an app to become first-aid volunteers, finding out where their nearest defibrillator was located, or donating to research.
“He was a good friend of mine … it was emotional, a fine tribute to a fantastic person, team mate and goalkeeper,” AIK captain Alexander Milosevic told Reuters.
The 32-year-old Croatian passed away in his sleep on May 2 2013 due to a congenital heart defect, leaving behind his pregnant wife and twin daughters, plunging the club into a grief that is still felt.
“The sad thing is that we remember exactly what happened in those tragic days, We awoke to a phone call from the team doctor who told us the news,” Milosevic recalled.
Fans on AIK’s north terrace unveiled a giant banner in Turina’s honour before the game, and the players from each team carried portable defibrillator onto the field, which will be placed at various locations in the local area.
TURINA’S NAME CHANTED
In the 27th minute – Turina wore 27 during his time at the club – the AIK fans chanted his name, as they have done in every game since he passed away.
The tribute was organised together with Sweden’s Heart-Lung Fund, which has been a partner of the club for the 10 years since Turina’s death.
In a statement released ahead of the game, AIK quoted statistics saying that around 10,000 Swedes suffer heart attacks outside of hospitals every year, and that only 600 of the victims survive, hence the need for first-aid volunteers and defibrillators.
“Half of those affected are on the surface completely healthy, active people who show no previous symptoms,” Heart-Lung Fund general secretary Kristina Sparreljung said in a statement.
“The majority are middle-aged or older, but even the young, physically active and elite athletes can be affected,” she added.
The game between the two sides in Sweden’s top-flight Allsvenskan finished in a goalless draw, but Milosevic said he hopes that the tribute to Turina will last longer in the memory.
“It incredibly important. We probably don’t understand how important it is until it affects something or someone close to us. These are important things.”
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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