There is a suspect in the case of the 15-year-old who died on Christmas Eve while playing soccer with friends in Pordenone.
This is the sports doctor who had issued the boy, a member of a local club, Torre, with a sports certificate . The inclusion in the register of suspects is a necessary step, ordered to protect the defense's rights and allow the professional to appoint his own expert for the autopsy, which has been scheduled for January 8th.
According to legal sources, the case could take on particular significance, even setting a precedent, as it presents a significant legal distinction. This is because the fatal illness did not occur during normal, official competitive activity , but on a suburban pitch during an informal match between peers.
This context raises questions about the scope of liability and the scope of obligations related to competitive sports fitness. The Pordenone Public Prosecutor's Office has assigned the autopsy to coroner Antonello Cirnelli and cardiology specialist Paolo Ius. The two experts will be responsible for determining the cause of death and verifying the presence of any pathologies not identified during the fitness tests.
The sports doctor under investigation, a 39-year-old resident of Maniago, had followed the young man during the tests to assess his fitness for competitive sports in 2023, 2024, and 2025. From the investigations conducted by the Flying Squad, the Prosecutor's Office found no further potential inefficiencies or liability. Specifically, it was confirmed that emergency services arrived quickly: the ambulance and medical car reached the scene of the tragedy within just seven minutes of the emergency call, despite the fragmentary information provided by the teenagers who raised the alarm and who were, understandably, in a state of shock.
It was also clarified that the sports facility where the incident occurred is not approved for official competitions and, therefore, is not subject to the requirement to have a defibrillator, which is required by law exclusively for facilities designated for competitive activities. This fact contributes to a complex picture, which will now be further investigated by forensic medical examinations and judicial authorities.
(Unioneonline)
