Paris Saint-Germain reserve goalkeeper Sergio Rico has been seriously injured in a horseback riding accident in southern Spain. The French soccer champion said he found out about the accident on Sunday and is in constant contact with Rico’s relatives. French and Spanish media reported that the 29-year-old Spaniard was injured on a horseback ride on the edge of Doñana National Park. There was no official information on the severity of Rico’s injury. French media, citing a PSG spokesman, reported that Rico was in a “serious condition”.
The accident happened in Rico’s native Andalusia. After the incident, the PSG keeper was immediately taken by helicopter to the Virgen del Rocio hospital in Seville. This was set up by the Spanish TV channel “Canal Sur”. Life-sustaining measures are said to have been initiated there immediately. As the Spanish newspaper “Marca” reports, Rico’s condition is said to have stabilized in the meantime.
On Saturday, the keeper was still on the PSG bench in the away game against Racing Strasbourg (1-1). His ex-club Sevilla was also dismayed, writing on Twitter: “A lot of strength and a speedy recovery”.
Rico had won the Europa League three times as a Sevilla FC player before moving to France in 2020. In Paris, however, he was only used sporadically and was awarded to RCD Mallorca in 2022. In 2016, the keeper played a game for the Spanish national team and was not in the squad at the European Championship in the same year.
PSG had secured their eleventh championship title in Ligue 1 by winning a point in Strasbourg and are the new record champions. With a four-point lead over second-placed RC Lens, Christophe Galtier’s team can no longer be dislodged from first place with a game to go in the season. For PSG it was the second championship title in a row.
In Strasbourg, the Argentinian Lionel Messi initially put the favorites in the lead after submitting Mbappé (59th). Strasbourg managed to equalize through Kevin Gameiro (79th), but the point win was enough for Paris to win the title early.