Tragedy on the pitch — 16-year-old Albanian player dies after fatal collision during match

A tragic event has shaken football in Kavala, Greece, after a 16-year-old footballer of Albanian origin lost his life following a severe head injury during a match on the island of Thassos.

Asllan Gjana, part of the Byronas Kavala squad, was playing against Aiandas Panagias in a second-division match of the Kavala Football Association when, only in the second minute of the game, he collided heavily. During a duel for the ball, the 16-year-old went off the pitch and struck the back of his head on the stadium’s perimeter fence. After the collision, he lost consciousness. The match was stopped immediately and the footballer received first aid from the match doctor. Emergency medical services were also called to the scene, and due to his serious condition it was decided to transport him immediately to hospital.

The 16-year-old was taken to Kavala Hospital, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit. Despite the doctors’ efforts, he did not survive. The news caused great pain to his family, teammates and the sports community in Kavala.

The Byronas Kavala club reacted with a touching message on the passing of its footballer. “With unbearable pain and indescribable sadness, the athletic family of Byron Kavala bids farewell to one of its children,” the club’s reaction reads. “Byron of Kavala is in mourning; it has lost one of its children. Farewell, our boy, you will live forever in our hearts,” the message continues.