Footballer dies on the pitch in front of shocked fans

Dead: Victor Brannstrom had just scored for his team when he collapsed on the pitch

A striker for Sweden's fourth-tier football league collapsed and died on the pitch in front of shocked fans just minutes after scoring.

In an echo of Bolton Wanderers star Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a mid-match heart attack in March, Victor Brannstrom was jogging back to his team's half of the pitch when he fell to the ground.

 

The 29-year-old had just put his team, Pitea IF, 1-0 up when he collapsed shortly after scoring in the match against Umedalen yesterday.

The match was abandoned as medics tried to revive Brannstrom on the pitch as they waited for an ambulance.

However, he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at hospital.

The cause of death was not immediately clear.

Swedish news agency TT says Brannstrom had passed out during a match earlier this year. He took a break from the sport to undergo medical tests but returned after doctors found nothing wrong.

Christer Berglund, Pitea IF spokesman, said: 'He was totally unmarked and was jogging back when he just collapsed.

'People ran out to him right away and within 20 seconds I'd called for an ambulance.'

Officials say Brannstrom had collapsed in training earlier this year but a series of tests had failed to identify any health problems.