Belgrano de Córdoba's classification to the round of 16 of the Argentine Cup was put in the background for several minutes due to a situation that generated concern among players, coaching staff and fans. Lucas Zelarayán, captain of the Córdoba team and former Tigres player in the Liga MX, suffered a decompensation while the match against Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy was taking place.

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The episode occurred during the second half of the match corresponding to the round of 32 of the tournament. Television cameras captured the 33-year-old midfielder with obvious signs of physical discomfort shortly after the Jujuy team's second goal. His colleagues immediately came over to assist him when they noticed that he had symptoms compatible with dizziness or disorientation.

Zelarayán ended up lying on the grass and received medical attention on the field. While he was being assisted, Nicolás “Uvita” Fernández removed his captain's ribbon. The footballer was transferred in the auxiliary cart and the ambulance entered the field as a preventive measure. Despite the initial concern, the player left the playing area walking on his own towards the locker room.

The midfielder had entered the 66th minute to replace Adrián Sánchez. His participation ended twelve minutes later, when he was replaced by Julián Mavilla.

The initial diagnosis and the explanation of the footballer

Shortly after the scene that set off alarms, journalist Mariana Lamas reported from the stadium that Zelarayán was conscious and stable in the locker room. According to the first medical report released by the club, the footballer presented “temporary disorientation.”

After finishing the match, the player himself offered details about what happened and sought to bring peace of mind to Belgrano's followers and their families.

"I wanted to bring peace of mind to all the people of Belgrano, to all my family. I was already talking to the doctor. They treated me, I thank them very much. My glucose was low, it was a difficult week. They were days of great celebration," he expressed, according to statements collected by the newspaper La Voz de Córdoba.

The midfielder explained that he had already gone through a similar situation before and that he had undergone various medical checks.

"I'm not one to consume a lot of glucose, my sugar went down. More than anything it was that. It had happened to me last year at my house, with my wife. I also had to run to the doctor with a decompensation. It had already happened to me. I did a lot of studies with the doctors at the club and the sanatorium," he said.

Zelarayán added that complementary studies will continue to be carried out during the week to rule out any major inconvenience.

"It's a shame for me. I had lived a dream week and I wanted to finish it well. It makes me a little sad. I didn't like what happened. The concern of my family and all the people of Belgrano. Now I'm going back to the team," he commented.

Meanwhile, the game continued. The Córdoba team won 4-2 with an outstanding performance by goalkeeper Thiago Cardozo, who stopped two shots. In the next round, Belgrano will face the winner of the series between Racing and Defensa y Justicia.