Luca Campanaro death: Goalkeeper's father sends message to collision boy
The father of a 14-year-old goalkeeper who died after a collision has told the boy he clashed with to "be strong, keep smiling and live your life".
Luca Campanaro was injured while playing for Bedgrove Dynamos in Hillingdon, west London, on 9 December. He died the following day. His father Americo said the family had "no ill feeling" towards the other boy. Mr Campanaro also spoke with his son's team on Saturday morning, some of whom he said had been "struggling". "Some have gone to school, some have had to leave school because they're just not coping very well," he said. "I had a little chat with them and said everybody knows what type of lad Luca was. He was a big lad, big heart, gentle giant, but at the same time he was practical. Whenever you're feeling down, just remember what Luca would say to you." The teenager, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, had been playing an under-15 match against Harefield United when he collided with another player. He was airlifted to hospital but died the following day. His organs were subsequently donated, and his father said that "four lives are going to be saved because of Luca". Mr Campanaro called what happened "unfortunate, bad luck, freakish" and said he had been "humbled" by the support from "all over the world" through a fundraising page which had raised more than £27,000. In a message to the other boy involved, he said: "You carry on living your life as full as you can because neither me, his mum or any of our family feel any ill feeling towards him. "This boy is 14. He's got the rest of his life to live. It's natural he will feel guilt of some sort. But if he does hear this, from Luca's dad and his family, you've got to carry on boy. Be strong, keep smiling and live your life. I feel for the boy, I really do. "That evening at the hospital in London I thought if that was me as that 14-year-old boy, how would I be feeling right now? The boy meant no malice towards my son at all... "