'Junior guided us a lot'

The shocked Dempo players are trying hard to come to terms with the sudden death of their key member and Brazilian striker Cristiano Junior.

Huddled in a hotel room, they are in a state of disbelief, a day after the tragedy.

"He (Junior) was very cooperative and he freely mingled with us. He used to guide us a lot, encourage us and give new inputs," Dempo's captain Samir Naik and player Stanley Colaco said in Bangalore on Monday.

Dempo players believe that Junior could have been saved had timely medical treatment been given to him. Junior was gasping for breath for three-four minutes, according to Naik.

Junior lay motionless on the ground for about 15 minutes after scoring his second goal in the final of the Federation Cup Football Championship at Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday. Dempo won 2-0 beating Mohan Bagan.

The move to rush the striker to orthopedic specialty Hosmat Hospital two kilometres away in heavy traffic, and not to the nearby Mallya Hospital has drawn severe criticism from Dempo players, who complained that though there was an oxygen cylinder in the ambulance, it was not working.

"If there was a good doctor, Junior could have survived", added Colaco.

But Naik and Colaco firmly believe that Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Subrata Paul's apparent blow to Junior as he bumped into him was not with the intention of harming the Brazilian striker.

They said Paul's action came out of frustration and in the heat of the moment as his side was losing the match.

An upset Paul was quoted as saying after the incident that he was only "trying to stretch" in an attempt to save the goal.

Meanwhile, sources said Junior's body, which has been taken to Goa, would be flown to Brazil for the funeral. Junior is married and his wife Juliana is in Goa.