‘One day someone is going to die’ – Fans concerned as struggling Uruguay star forced to take OXYGEN 4km above sea level
FOOTBALL fans were left stunned after seeing a Champions League star need the support of an oxygen mask to breathe during a game 4,000km above sea level.
The scenes were an unbelievable sight during a World Cup qualifying clash between Bolivia and Uruguay.
In the final few minutes of the game, Atletico Madrid star Jose Gimenez was seen breathing heavily before walking off the pitch to pick up an oxygen mask.
The 30-year-old is then seen breathing into the mask to combat the difficult conditions he was playing in at the Villa Ingenio stadium in El Alto.
The stadium sits a staggering 13,615 feet or 4.1kilometres above sea level.
The Bolivian FA remarkably decided to move to this venue last October to help them qualify for the World Cup in 2026.
Bolivia have always been tough to beat at home due to their traditional home, La Paz, sitting 11,940 feet above sea level.
But three defeats in five games in World Cup qualifying left them in dire need of a result and prompted the switch to the venue 2,000 feet higher.
At the height of the new venue, total air density decreases to around 0.82 grams per litre of which there is only roughly 0.17 grams of oxygen per litre.
Less oxygen means more difficulty breathing, which naturally is counterproductive in a sport like football when players are constantly on the move.
The Bolivia clash ended 0-0 with Uruguay defender Gimenez able to complete the match, but fans on social media were disgusted at the risks being taken for the match.
One fan on social media said: “One day someone is going to die.”
A second said: “Crazy!!”
A third added: “South American football is something else.”
The plan has not exactly gone to plan for Bolivia either, failing to win either game at home since the move.