Pachuca's Miguel Calero Dies

Miguel Calero has died a little over a week after reportedly being hospitalized from an a series of strokes beginning on Nov. 26.

The 41-year-old retired soccer star, who also played for the Colombian national team, was taken off life support Tuesday afternoon, according to a message sent out at about 2:45 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the Pachuca football club's official Twitter feed.

A loose and less-than-accurate, but still illuminating, translation of the pertinent part of that tweet, as interpreted by Google Translate, is as follows:

“We welcome your expressions of solidarity with the death of Miguel Calero.”

ESPN confirmed the death in an online post Tuesday afternoon.

Miguel Calero was beloved around the world and especially in Mexico, where he is considered one of the nation's great football heroes.

On Nov. 26, he was taken from his home in Pachuca, Mexico, to Mexico City via helicopter for treatment for an apparent cerebral thrombosis, according to ESPN.

Reports about exactly what sent him to the hospital initially vary from source to source, as the top soccer Website Goal.com on Tuesday stated that he was instead hospitalized on Nov. 28 after a thrombosis in his arm sent a blood clot to his brain.

Either way, while Miguel Calero was in the hospital, he proceeded to undergo a series of strokes, according to Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Grant Wahl, who tweeted the following Monday evening:

“Thinking of ex-Pachuca goalkeeper Miguel Calero as he fights for his life following a series of strokes. Un gigante.”

Pachuca announced in a Monday night statement that Calero was declared brain dead that evening, ESPN reported.

On Tuesday, Goal.com quoted the following statement from the Pachuca team:

“Miguel Calero was a football player who left his mark on a great era in the history of Club Pachuca.”

He was then taken off life support Tuesday, the day after he was declared brain dead, according to Goal.com.

Calero retired Mexican league soccer play on Sept. 29, 2011, after he suffered a venous thrombosis in his left arm, according to Goal.com.

The outpouring of online support Tuesday in the wake of his reported death was swift and overwhelming, as fellow players and soccer fans who support teams across the globe came out to show their love for Miguel Calero.

Santos Laguna and U.S. Men's National Team forward Hercules Gomez tweeted the following message shortly after Calero's death was announced, and was immediately retweeted dozens of times:

“RIP Miguel Calero, An unbelievable player and an even better person ... you will be missed but not forgotten my friend!!”

Twitter user @JandroMuzik had a simpler message that all football fans could find solidarity with:

“#RIP Miguel Calero , one of the best goalkeepers in Mexico.”

Miguel Calero will not be forgotten, as the whole soccer world is expressing its grief over losing such a strong figure at such a young age.