Udinese vs. Roma match in Italy abandoned after player collapses

By Can Erozden

A Sunday Italian football match between Udinese and Roma was suspended after the latter's defender Evan Ndicka collapsed on the pitch for an apparent chest problem.

"Following Evan Ndicka's illness on the pitch, #UdineseRoma was suspended. The player is conscious and was transported to hospital for checks. Forza (Come on) Evan, we're all with you!," Serie A club Roma wrote on X.

"We are with you, Ndicka," Udinese, Roma's opponents, said on social media.

Ivorian central defender Ndicka, 24, went down in the second half of the match in Udine to be taken off on a stretcher.

The match was 1-1 when he was leaving the pitch, with nearly 20 minutes remaining.

Ndicka, who was born in Paris, joined Roma on a free transfer in July 2023 after spending five years with German Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt.

He helped Eintracht Frankfurt win a UEFA Europa League title in 2022, and sealed the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast in February.