According to his cardiologist, former La Liga player Raphael Dwamena decided to have his defibrillator removed a year prior to collapsing and passing away on the field.
The 28-year-old, who played for Levante and Zaragoza in Spain, passed away on Saturday following an incident in which he went down while representing KF Egnatia against Partizani in an Albanian league match.
In the match’s 24th minute, other players hurried over to the scene, but despite prompt medical attention, he was unable to be revived.
Since then, Dwamena‘s cardiologist, Dr. Antonio Asso, has spoken out about the player’s cardiac condition.
He claimed that the player had a “serious ventricular arrhythmia” and that he had a defibrillator implanted before deciding to remove it on a “personal decision.”
“He died as a result of a respectable personal decision,” said Asso. “But if the defibrillator had not been explanted, Raphael would still be alive.”
Raphael Dwamema played 12 league games for Levante during his two years in La Liga, but he was scoreless.
Dwamena removed defibrillator a year before he died on the pitch – Cardiologist#UTVNews pic.twitter.com/pJPiGwas9i
— UTV Ghana (@utvghana) November 14, 2023
Meanwhile, the football player stated in a 2020 interview with El Periodico De Aragon that he intended to play football for a very long time in spite of his recurrent heart condition.
He clarified that his faith kept him fearless and that he felt confident that God was with him and would watch over his heart.
“Obviously, it was not a good feeling to have to leave football, it was a hard blow to stop playing at that time. But I knew that I would play again because God is always faithful and is always with me,” Raphael Dwamena said in the interview three years ago.
“Taking the news was not a problem. And the media will publish everything they hear, that’s not something new, it always happens.
“At all times. I always feel like nothing is wrong with me. I believe that God is the one who takes care of my heart. I may have symptoms of heart problems or other things, but I am never afraid. God is with me.”
He added: “Each doctor has his own opinions and I respected them, I looked for different evaluations. I respect their roles and jobs, but my wish was to get back to playing and do everything possible to achieve it.”
Dwamena’s most recent setback prior to passing away occurred in 2021 when he went down during a cup match for the Austrian team BW Linz.
The match against Hartberg was canceled as a result of him being taken to the hospital immediately following the incident.
Dwamena was a talented striker who had a very successful season in the Austrian top division in 2016–17, but his heart condition frequently hindered his progress.
