In brief
Ecuadorian defender Mario Pineida was killed in a shooting incident in Guayaquil, highlighting the rising violence in the city. The former Barcelona SC player, who represented Ecuador at the national level, was shot while outside a shop with family members. His untimely death has sparked outrage and tributes from across the football community.
Mario Pineida, a defender for Ecuador, has died at the age of 33 after being shot in Guayaquil.
Local reports indicate that Pineida was attacked on Wednesday by two individuals on motorbikes while outside a shop with his mother and another woman.
Ecuador's interior ministry has dispatched a special police unit to investigate the shooting.
Guayaquil, known for its escalating gang violence and drug trafficking, has experienced 1,900 murders from January to September, marking the highest rate in Ecuador.
This incident follows the recent deaths of three second-tier football players in September and a local player who was injured in October.
Pineida earned nine international caps for Ecuador between 2014 and 2021.
He began his professional career at Independiente DV before transitioning to Barcelona SC in 2016. He also had loan spells at Fluminese and El Nacional.
Independiente and Fluminese both paid tribute to Pineida on social media, while Barcelona SC expressed their deep dismay over the tragic news. The Ecuadorian Football Federation condemned the violence and expressed condolences to Pineida's family.
