April 20, 2022

2022 EUROPEAN FAIR PLAY MOVEMENT “SPIRIT OF FAIR PLAY” Award goes to EUNICE MORTÁGUA (POR)

Eunice Mortágua has been football referee for more than 25 years. In June 2021, the referee from Aveiro, saw a young player of Valonguense fall unconscious near the end of the game with Taboeira B. He had a shock, and he couldn’t breathe, he started having seizures. He opened his eyes and understood what people were saying to him, but from one moment to the next, he began to get very tense and roll his eyes. Eunice Mortágua used the techniques learned in basic life support training with automatic external defibrillation and first aid to “be able to act faster and save a human life”. Firefighters came up “25 minutes later”, put him to oxygen and the body relaxed, as he was unable to control his breathing with the pain. Early on the following day, another player, this time in a U19s game, had fallen unconscious following a clash with an opponent. As he was on the ground he started suffering from convulsions. Eunice immediately intervened by using first-aid techniques.

Eunice, who is 47, is also a director of APAF, the Portuguese Referees Association. She said:

“I believe every referee should be taught basic first aid techniques. Before being a referee, I’m a mother and a human being. I couldn’t stand still; it was my duty to help. I’m glad both players are now fine“.