Colombian football 'Colossus' Freddy Rincon dead at 55: doctors

Bogota (AFP) – Colombian former international midfield star Freddy Rincon died on Wednesday aged 55 of injuries he sustained in a traffic accident, doctors said.

Rincon suffered a severe head injury following a collision on Monday between the vehicle he was travelling in and a bus in the southwest city of Cali.

The former Real Madrid and Napoli ace underwent almost three hours of surgery before being transferred to intensive care, but died on Wednesday.

“Despite all the efforts made by our medical and care team, the patient Freddy Eusebio Rincon Valencia has died today,” said the Imbanaco Clinic in Cali, which was treating him.

Rincon was born in the southwestern port city of Buenaventura and was known as the “Colossus” during his career.

He was a star of the Colombia side that played at the World Cup in Italy in 1990 and also played at two more World Cups.

He spent much of his career in Brazil, turning out for Palmeiras and Corinthians, where he won the FIFA Club World Cup in 2000.