Daniel Jarque, captain of La Liga side Espanyol, has died at the age of 26 years from what is believed to have been a heart attack.
The team were at a hotel in the Italian town of Coverciano as they prepared for their next warm-up match against Bologna when Jarque was found unconscious. He was rushed to hospital but all attempts to revive him failed. Espanyol have suspended their tour programme.
Daniel Jarque was born in Barcelona on January 1st 1983 and began his footballing career with CF Cooperativa de Sant Boi in Llobregat. At the age of 12 years, he joined the junior ranks of RCD Espanyol and made his senior debut on October 20th 2002 against Recreativo.
He was a member of the team which won the Copa del Rey in 2006 and were runners-up in the 2007 UEFA Cup.
The team are returning to Barcelona on Sunday.