Sports
Ecuador International Mario Pineida Killed in Attack Aged 33
Brazilian side Fluminense have released a statement following the tragic passing of their former player Mario Pineida, aged just 33. The Ecuadorian left-back, who most recently played for Barcelona SC in his home country, was murdered on Wednesday in Guayaquil, according to local press reports.
Pineida played for the Brazilian giants on loan in 2022, a season in which he won the Rio de Janeiro state championship. He began his professional career at Independiente del Valle, where he played from 2010 to 2015, before moving to Guayaquil-based Barcelona SC in 2016, winning two league titles with the club across six years. He also made nine appearances for the national team.
Police said another unidentified person was also killed in the incident, while a third individual was wounded during the attack on Wednesday afternoon. This comes after it was revealed that Ecuador is expected to have its most violent year on record with more than 9,000 homicides, according to the Ecuadorian Observatory of Organized Crime, as per The Independent.
Fluminense expressed its condolences on social media regarding the player’s passing. In a statement, they wrote (see the full post below): “Fluminense Football Club received with deep sorrow the news of the passing of Mario Pineida, an athlete who defended the club in 2022.
“Pineida arrived at the Tricolor at the beginning of the season in which we were crowned together as Carioca champions. Fluminense extends solidarity to his family and friends.”
Barcelona SC also wrote on social media, as they posted (see the full post below): “Barcelona Sporting Club informs, with deep sorrow, that it has been officially notified of the death of our player, Mario Pineida, which occurred following an attack against him. This regrettable news has deeply saddened all of us who are part of the institution, and grieves us as a Barcelona family.
“In the coming hours, we will provide timely information regarding the events that will be held in his memory. For now, we ask our members, fans, and the public to offer a prayer for the repose of his soul and for strength for his entire family in this moment of immense sorrow.”
Details of Pineida’s Murder Emerge
Ecuadorian media reported the incident took place in the region of Samanes in the north end of Guayaquil, which lies 265 kilometers (165 miles) southwest of the capital Quito. According to the website “Ecuavisa”, as per Globo, local police reported that Pineida was shot in front of a butcher shop in the Sanales neighborhood, and that the player’s wife was also killed in the attack. Pineida’s mother, who was with the couple, was injured.
Pineida was murdered just hours after the president of Barcelona de Guayaquil, Antonio Alvarez, revealed that the player had requested special protection, claiming he was receiving death threats. The Ecuadorian club’s squad had decided not to train on Wednesday morning in protest over four months of unpaid wages.
According to local press, Ecuadorian football is experiencing a wave of attacks against players, with at least three other deaths: Maicol Valencia and Leandro Yepez, both from Exapromo Costa, in the second division, on September 8th, and Jonathan Gonzalez, former player for Independiente del Valle and LDU, on the 20th of the same month. In November, Miguel Nazareno, 16, a youth player for Del Valle, was found dead in his home.
