Soccer Tragedy: Former Romanian National Team Player Gabriel Muresan Drowns in a Lake

Tragedy and mourning in Romanian soccer: Gabriel Muresan, a former midfielder for the Romanian national team, has died at the age of 44. The former Cluj player drowned in a lake near Apold, in Transylvania.

On Wednesday evening, Muresan was with some friends and is believed to have suffered thermal shock due to a sudden change in temperature, which is thought to have caused a sudden heart attack: the former player had previously been in a sauna with the entire group. Those with him did not realize he was missing until an hour later.

After an emergency call to the police at 11 p.m., firefighters and divers responded, recovering the body around 1 a.m. Resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful; he was transported to the emergency room in Targu Mures, where he was pronounced dead.

Here is UEFA’s statement: “On behalf of the European soccer community, we express our deepest condolences on the passing of former Romanian national team player Gabriel Muresan at the age of 44. Muresan made nine appearances for the Romanian national team and served as captain of CFR Cluj, with whom he won three league titles during six successful years. He also competed in the UEFA Champions League. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to his family and to all who knew him.”

Gabriel Muresan, born in 1982, played nine times for the Romanian national team. He spent six years at Cluj, from 2007 to 2013, winning two league titles and one Romanian Cup. During his career, he also played for Gaz Metan Medias, Gloria Bistrita, Tom’ Tomsk, and Targu Mures.