Gustavo Raggio
, the coach of
Estudiantes de Río Cuarto
, continues to be hospitalized this Sunday with a reserved prognosis in the intensive care unit of the Medical Institute of the Córdoba city as a result of
bilateral pneumonia
.
On Saturday, five days after being admitted to the sanatorium, it was learned that the 52-year-old technical director had suffered a complication that forced him to be connected to a respirator.
And for these hours there is no choice but to wait for his evolution.
The good sign is that his condition did not worsen, although concern led his family and those close to him to ask for "
a prayer chain to give him strength in this difficult time."
"I know that there is a prayer chain for him. Unfortunately, his condition became complicated. We all do our best to help him get out because, in addition, he is an excellent person.
It depends on God and the strength he may have. We pray that he gets through this.
"
Alicio Dagatti, president of Estudiantes de Río Cuarto,
told Clarín
.
While waiting for a new medical report, those close to the former soccer player explained that
"24 hours have not yet passed since he was assisted with an artificial respirator and there was no evolution, but thank God he stopped regressing."
They also highlighted that the specialists who are treating him asked for caution and to wait at least 72 hours to see how the mechanical assistance impacts his condition.
Raggio, born in Villa Constitución and with a long career as a footballer in several First Division clubs after having taken his first steps in Newell's Old Boys in Rosario, arrived at Estudiantes de Río Cuarto last December, when he assumed the technical direction of a team that was reinforced enough to be a protagonist in the second category of Argentine soccer.
On Sunday, February 4, in the first game of the 2024 Primera Nacional season, it was a 1-0 victory at home against
Deportivo Madryn
and
Carozo
, as they know him, led without problems according to what they say from Córdoba.
It was one of those triumphs that excite at the beginning of a campaign, with a full field and celebrated with the enthusiasm typical of promotion football.
Gustavo Raggio arrived at Estudiantes in December.
Photo: Student Press
However, the next day, Raggio was admitted to the aforementioned Rio Cuarto clinic, suffering from
"dehydration and pneumonia"
, according to what the club announced on Wednesday the 7th.
"He is clearly improving, resting and evolving in the best way. It is estimated that on Saturday he will be discharged, to resume his duties again," they said at that time, without imagining this complication that worries everyone.
However, when his medical discharge was expected to occur, the alarms went off this Saturday with a new post from the institution's official account.
Our coach, Mr. Gustavo Raggio, who has been admitted to the Río Cuarto Medical Institute since last February 5, suffers from a bilateral respiratory condition," the report that the club shared on its networks began by saying.
And he continued, giving an account of the difficult panorama that Raggio faces: "In the last 24 hours the evolution was not as expected, he presented a worsening of the condition, requiring increased respiratory support assistance."
"The prognosis of his health condition became 'reserved'," closes the letter signed by the Student Athletic Association.
AA Estudiantes communicates the latest medical report on the health of our coach Gustavo Raggio... pic.twitter.com/jWydJ0MRUE
— AA Estudiantes de Río Cuarto (@ EstudiantesRio4) February 10, 2024
In another of the messages published by the so-called
Lion of the Empire
, "all friends of the club are asked to accompany him with their prayers for the improvement in his state of health", accompanying his post with the hashtag
#FuerzaGustavo
.
This Sunday, from 5 p.m., Estudiantes visits Defensores Unidos de Zárate for the second date of the Primera Nacional championship.