Uncle of Derlis Gonzalez, Paraguay’s Copa America hero against Brazil, dies after watching winning penalty
Paraguay’s penalty hero Derlis Gonzalez saw his celebrations curtailed by tragedy following the death of his uncle from a heart attack.
Tio xq hoy tio xq😢me dejaste x un infarto tio x darte una alegria y que te vayas con tanta felicidad no puedo creer pic.twitter.com/9HDECJXFEQ
— Derlis Gonzalez (@DerlisG10) June 28, 2015
The 21-year-old forward scored from the spot to level his side’s Copa America quarter-final clash with Brazil at 1-1 on Saturday and then netted the winner in the shoot-out to seal a place in the last four for Paraguay.
But after the game, the forward learned that his uncle had suffered a heart attack while watching the win in his homeland and passed away as doctors were unable to revive him.
“Why today, uncle? Why? You left me after a heart attack because I gave you so much joy and so much happiness. I can’t believe it,” Derlis wrote on Twitter later on Saturday in a post that also featured a photo of his uncle.
Gonzalez plays his club football for FC Basel in Switzerland and is considered the latest in Paraguay’s long line of striking talents.
