Guardian of the Goal Falls: Iraqi futsal coach Marcelo Galina dies after a training fall
5 October 2025
What happened
The Iraqi sports world was jolted by the news that Marcelo Galina, the Brazilian goalkeeper coach for the Iraq futsal team, died after falling from the upper floor of the Ashur University gym during a training session.
The Iraqi Football Association offered its condolences in an official statement from the federation’s leadership, expressing heartfelt sympathy to Galina’s family.
The circumstances
According to initial sources, Galina ascended to the upper level of the sports hall as part of the team’s preparations for the AFC qualifiers. During his time there, he slipped and died instantly from a brain hemorrhage. Mohand Abdulhadi attempted to intervene but could not save him.
First official comment
Ali Issa, the administrative director of the Iraq futsal team, spoke to the federation’s official account, describing the loss of Marcelo Galina as a heartbreaking and devastating event for everyone in the delegation.
He added that the incident left a deep mark on players and staff, and that the team would press on with its AFC qualifying preparations, with the next training session scheduled at the Army Club hall in Baghdad.
He explained that Galina acted on his own, climbing to a restricted upper floor despite clear instructions not to leave the gym area, given the campus’s high student presence.
He noted that even with the security and facilities team’s presence, Galina went up without the knowledge of any member of the administrative staff.
He concluded that federation president Adnan Darjal and the executive committee remained in constant contact to monitor Mohand Abdulhadi’s condition, with checks continuing late into the night.
Barbosa’s meeting
The team’s Brazilian head coach Joao Carlos Barbosa held a meeting with the players to emotionally rally them after Galina’s death. He reaffirmed that preparations for the AFC qualifiers in Saudi Arabia would continue, stressing unity and focus to honor Galina’s memory and to pursue the finals by earning an AFC spot.
Barbosa emphasized that Galina had believed in the players’ abilities and dreamed of seeing the team reach the finals, urging everyone to turn that dream into reality with qualification for the AFC.
He underscored the importance of staying disciplined in training, noting that the sacrifice and courage shown by players and staff during the rescue attempt left a lasting impression and influenced his decision to stay with the squad.
In closing, he wished a speedy recovery for Mohand Abdulhadi and highlighted that he remains a key member of the squad, hoping for his return to help achieve the team’s goals.
He added that the training schedule would proceed as planned, with coaches and administrators standing united behind the players to ensure peak readiness for the qualifiers.
In his concluding remarks, Barbosa reiterated his wishes for Marcelo’s swift recovery and declared that the team would persevere for Marcelo and for the nation.
Punchline 1: Gravity is undefeated in sports—it’s the only coach who can bench you without even needing a whistle.
Punchline 2: If life were a football match, gravity would be the referee—blowing the whistle and sending you tumbling when you least expect it. Ah, the beautiful fall of fate.
