Roxana Badaloni
02/06/2021 16:15
Clarín.com
sports
Updated 02/06/2021 16:15
Mendoza is shocked by the death of the last idol that local soccer gave.
The alleged suicide of Santiago
Morro
García (30) caused pain, indignation and much sadness among the fans of the Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba club.
The Uruguayan striker was found dead on Saturday at noon in his apartment in the Bombal neighborhood of the city of Mendoza.
They had not been able to locate him for three days because he did not answer calls.
His contract expired in June, but
the club had already decided to dispense with his services
and was waiting for a move to a new team.
El
Morro
was well liked in Mendoza and not only by the supporters of the
wine
club
.
On the street, people stopped him to greet him, take a picture or ask for an autograph.
The Uruguayan almost always agreed.
Although he spoke little, somewhat shy, he showed a smile when his fans called him: “He was a great person, they treated him very badly.
How painful
How much sadness ”, the messages exploded on the Mendoza networks and media chats.
Santiago García, el Morro, was found dead this Saturday in his department of Mendoza Photo: Ignacio Blanco / Los Andes
He lived alone in Mendoza.
He had a young daughter in Montevideo, whom he had not seen for more than a year, an encounter that was made difficult by the pandemic.
Those who made contact with him in recent weeks say that El
Morro
was depressed and undergoing psychiatric treatment.
He was also at odds with the president of the Godoy Cruz club, José Mansur.
He had had some problems at various times last year and had missed training.
The leadership questioned his physical condition due to his overweight
.
"He has to go because he is not up to what the squad needs and the club's professional obligations," Mansur had said in public.
Almost two hours after his death was confirmed and when many clubs and footballers had already spoken on social networks, the official post from Godoy Cruz arrived.
“You were a hero, you were a scorer, you were a friend and family.
You were everything a person wants to be when he grabs a ball, today you have to be eternal and infinite for all of us ... Thank you very much for so much Morro, thank you for so many joys to the Tombino people.
Rest in peace, "the club published on its networks. And, aware of the anger that the news has caused among the fans, the club blocked the possibility of responding to the original message.
You were a hero, you were a scorer, you were a friend and family, you were everything a person wants to be when he catches a ball, today you have to be eternal and infinite for all of us ...
Thank you very much for so much Morro, thank you for so many joys to the Tombino people .
Rest in peace.
pic.twitter.com/e8vB72HdGr
- Club Godoy Cruz (@ClubGodoyCruz) February 6, 2021
Santiago García had caught the coronavirus in January.
That was one of the reasons why he had not traveled to Buenos Aires last week with the rest of the team, although it was already known that he was not going to play in Godoy Cruz this season.
He awaited the result of the negotiations of his representative to continue his career in another club.
It was speculated that it could be Estudiantes, Gimnasia La Plata or Vélez Sarsfield.
Since he was separated and trained away from the campus, El
Morro
did not speak to journalism again.
He looked deteriorated, unmotivated
.
The pain of the people who approached the building where Morro García lived.
Photo: Ignacio Blanco / Los Andes
El
Morro's
body
was lying on the bed in a room in his apartment, on the 11th floor of the El Bosque building, at 148 Hipólito Yrigoyen street in Godoy Cruz.
Next to the body, the police found a revolver.
A friend of the player was the one who called 911 because he was not answering calls.
A locksmith had to go to pick the lock and get in.
Homicide prosecutor Claudia Ríos went to the building and was the first to inspect the apartment, around 1:15 PM on Saturday.
"
We have verified the death of Santiago García
. He was shot with a firearm in the right parietal. And at his side a 22 caliber firearm," the prosecutor explained.
He did not confirm if the player left any goodbye letters.
"We're made shit, it hurt a lot."
One of his colleagues from Godoy Cruz upon hearing the news.
He was Tomba's top scorer with 51 goals, between 2016 and 2020. But his performance had deteriorated in the last Diego Maradona Cup, when he played only three games as a starter and another three as a substitute, without goals.
The striker who emerged from Nacional de Montevideo - there he was a partner of Marcelo Gallardo - was an idol for the entire Mendoza squad who received the news in the pre-season concentration in Buenos Aires.
"We are made shit, it hurt us a lot,"
said one of his companions, wiping his tears.
Mendoza.
Correspondent.