WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT Luca Manolache, a dedicated football fan who played for Metaloglobus Bucure’ti, died at a Bucharest hospital after drowning in his bodily fluids
A teenage footballer who suffered from a mystery illness for months died after calling his mum in a panic before he drowned in his own stomach acid.
Luca Manolache played as a midfielder for Romanian team Metaloglobus Bucure’ti until August 2024, when a series of incidents forced him to stop playing. The 19-year-old started suffering from prolonged fatigue, dizziness, chills, and bloody stools, and both his parents and fellow team members saw him struggle to get through the first half of a football match.
His coach initially believed he wasn’t properly preparing for his football games, but his symptoms became so severe that, during one match, an ambulance had to be called after Luca complained his vision turned black. He was dismissed by doctors early on, but died during a horrifying internal haemorrhage that caused him to profusely vomit blood.
X-rays of his lungs and blood tests taken after Luca fell ill all initially came back normal, and doctors concluded he must have been suffering from some kind of extreme infection. He was administered doxycycline, paracetamol and the pain medication algocalmin, On February 28, he began feeling severely unwell whilst out with a family member, his mum Ana Maria Manolache said, who called an ambulance.
Ana told local press that her son called her whilst she was in Bucharest, Romania, where she works. As his condition worsened, in a brief phone call, Luca was fearful and said: “Mum, Mum, I can’t do it anymore.” He then proceeded to ask her: “Do you think I’m dying?” Whilst in the ambulance, Luca began to complain that he couldn’t see anything.
Ana rushed to be with her son who was transported to the County Hospital in Târgoviște, Romania. She unfortunately did not make it there in time, and Luca’s sister called her to tell her that he had passed away. Despite vomiting large amounts of blood, doctors worked hard to save his life however his body began to negatively react with his stomach acid, causing him to drown.
Doctors told Ana that the circumstances of her son’s death were extremely rare. His death came suddenly, shocking his relatives but also his teammates who he played football with. Metaloglobus Bucure’ti shared an emotional post on their Instagram just days ago in tribute to Luca, saying: “We are shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic loss. His love for football and his smile brought happiness on the field.
“The last appearance in the Metaloglobus shirt was on August 24, 2024, in the match against CS Afumati, playing 10 minutes from the reserve position. Following the game against CS Afumati, the player complained of fatigue during training, which led the technical staff to stop him from training and recommend thorough medical examinations.
“Rest in peace dear ‘Mano’. Sincere condolences to the grieving family, the entire Metaloglobus family is with you in these devastating moments.”