Mario Pineida, a defender for Ecuador's Barcelona SC, was assassinated this Wednesday in the Samanes neighborhood of Guayaquil. The 33-year-old player was killed by a group of sicarios. The incident occurred around 4:30 PM as the footballer was leaving a butcher shop with his partner and mother. The three were ambushed by sicarios on a motorcycle and were shot multiple times. Both the footballist and his partner died, while his mother was injured. "Barcelona Sporting Club announces, with deep sorrow, that it has been officially notified of the death of our player Mario Pineida, an event that occurred after an attack on him. For now, we ask our partners, fans, and the public to say a prayer for the rest of his soul and for strength for his entire family at this time of immense pain," the club communicated. Born on July 6, 1992, Pineida debuted in 2010 with Independiente del Valle. He played 152 matches and scored 4 goals for the 'Matagigantes' before moving to Barcelona in 2016. With the Guayaquil club, he won the Ecuadorian Serie A in 2016 and 2020. He also had the opportunity to wear the Ecuador national team jersey 10 times and was part of the 'Tricolor' delegation in the 2015 and 2021 Copa América tournaments.
