Lokomotiv Moscow player dies at 22 during in-home training session

Lokomotiv Moscow announced on Monday that one of the club’s youth players, Innokenty Samokhvalov, has died at the age of 22 after suffering suspected heart failure during a training session in his home.

Lokomotiv released the following statement:

On April 20, defender Innokenty Samokhvalov died. The footballer became ill during an individual training session. Details of the tragedy are being clarified.

“Samokhvalov left a wife and a son. FC Lokomotiv is shocked by what happened. This is a huge sorrow for our family. We express our condolences to his family and friends.”

Samokhvalov had been playing for the Lokomotiv’s reserve team, Kazanka, in Russia’s third division, before the season was suspended due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. He, like his teammates, had been training on his own to remain fit ahead of a potential resumption of the season.

“It’s horrible,” Kazanka coach Alexander Grishin told ssian news agency RIA Novos. “The doctors have told us the cause of death was heart failure. If the doctors allowed him to train then we must assume he did not have any problems.”