«Seeing your friend collapse, the one to whom you said "pass me the ball" a moment earlier, seeing him lie down on the ground and thinking of a joke; “Get up Sa'”, and you throw him the ball...But the ball rolls away and then you understand that it's not a joke».

In the words of the municipal councilor of Nuoro, Francesco Guccini, there is the story of the first moments of the drama experienced last night on the five-a-side football pitch of the Polivalente gym: Sandro Delrio, 58 years old, auxiliary of the ASL, suddenly collapsed, during a match, he was struck by an illness that proved fatal.

A tragedy that took place before the eyes of friends. Among the others there was also Guccini: «Together with the others you try to rescue him, to help him, but you are unprepared, you are still there inside the playing field, but the game is over. You call 118 but they are eternal moments: they bounce you back to another number and handfuls of precious seconds still fly away."

The municipal councilor's statement is not an accusation, but he underlines: «After ten minutes the ambulance arrives. A century, thinking how close the hospital is. But I can't say that I haven't seen adequate help in the case. Indeed, I actually saw three people spend every last bit of energy just to keep Sandro's soul on that pitch."

The resuscitation attempts lasted an hour: «Only then, exhausted, did they leave him free to fly away. And we were left there, shocked, thinking that life is really unfair. Goodbye Sa'", is the ideal greeting to a friend, "your smile and your kindness will remain in those who loved you".

© Riproduzione riservata