FORMER Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas was rushed to hospital in Oporto (Portugal) after suffering a heart attack yesterday afternoon (Wednesday).
The Spaniard (pictured), who now plays for Oporto, underwent surgery, and is conscious and out of danger.
Portuguese media sources say he had stents fitted to open obstructed arteries.
“Casillas is fine, stable and his heart problem resolved,” Oporto football club has assured in a press conference.
They say he collapsed during training, which was swiftly interrupted to deal with the emergency.
His condition is known as an acute myocardial infarction, where blood flow to the heart becomes restricted and drastically reduces its ability to pump oxygen round the body.
Iker, 37, will not be able to play again for his team for the rest of the season, which includes the remaining three days of the Portuguese League tournament – and may even have to retire altogether, although this will depend upon his future recovery.
His wife, TV reporter Sara Carbonero, was working in Tarifa (Cádiz province) at the time and rushed to Iker's bedside as soon as she heard.
The couple has since posed for photographs on Instagram (@saracarbonero), smiling and giving 'victory' signs (second picture).
“Life has a strange way of reminding you to celebrate every heartbeat,” Sara says.
Sports personalities in Spain and Portugal have tweeted their best wishes and encouragement to the hospitalised goalie.
Messages have flooded in from football clubs such as Real Betis, Rayo Vallecano, Getafe CF, Levante UD, and, of course, FC Oporto and Real Madrid CF, along with the Spanish League, the Spanish Olympic Committee, the government's ministry for sports, and fellow players and those in other disciplines.
Sergio Ramos, Santiago Cañizares, Álvaro Benito Villar, Santi Cazorla, Claudio Bravo Muñoz, Thibaut Courtois, Pablo Laso, Pepe Reina, Ángel David Rodríguez, tennis ace Rafa Nadal, and cyclist Alejandro Valverde, have filled social media with good wishes under the hashtag #FuerzaIker.
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