It's a sad morning in Moncarapacho (Olhão), where a pain with its own name hangs in the air: Nassur Bacem, the young man who died on the field doing what he loved most. Play football. Everyone remembers him like this, hardworking, in a good mood and always - “even always” - an excellent professional. He left us at the age of 27, but he will not be forgotten. Nemésio Martins has not yet recovered from Wednesday night's shock. His choked voice denounces him: «It's been a very complicated day», he confesses to the news report. More football. The president of Moncarapachense was on the bench when everything happened. It was the 28th minute of the game between his team and Imortal (Albufeira), counting for the third round of the Algarve Cup, at the Estádio Municipal de Olhão. From one moment to the next, football stopped being the most important thing. «It was sudden. He fell, our doctor came in, we called the ambulances, some resuscitation maneuvers were tried, he got an injection of adrenaline... but nothing,” he says. “Nothing” here is everything. Nassur died there, the victim of a cardiorespiratory arrest. «And we look on, helpless, unable to do anything. We are devastated. It's a pain that I can't describe,” says Nemésio, president of Moncarapachense for more than a decade. Nassur was 27 years old, but already had a long history in the world of football, his great passion since always. It started way back in the Águeda schools, since the family is from the Aveiro area. The quality aroused the interest of the big ones. In 2009/2010, he moved to Alcochete, spent three seasons in Sporting's formation and shared the dressing room with names like André Franco (ex-FC Porto) or Luís Esteves (Gil Vicente). From Sporting, he headed to other places. While still in training, he played for Braga and Leixões, and it was even with Matosinhos that he made his professional debut. His senior career was spent, moreover, between Marítimo (B and under-23 teams), Oliveira do Hospital and Camacha (Madeira), where he found someone very special. Like Nemésio, João Nivea does not hide the sadness that invades him. «To give you an idea, I even consider myself a type of 'easy word', but today it's very complicated», he warns, to begin with. «We are never ready for a tragedy like this», recognizes the coach who had a very special relationship with Nassur Bacem, who he met in Madeira. «It's funny because I only coached him six games at Camacha, but I ended up taking him to Moncarapacho at the beginning of this season. This shows our connection. I trusted him a lot», says João Nivea who, in the meantime, has also left the Algarve club. The affection - for Moncarapachense and for Nassur - was never lost. Just last night, the coach was notified of what was happening. «I followed everything, they called me... I'm devastated», he summarizes. The memories that the coach has of the former athlete couldn't be better. Not only “he was an incredible boy, always with a smile on his face”, he was also an “excellent player”. «I usually say that Nassur was a modern full-back, who projected himself, who covered the entire corridor. It was fast, intense and combined that with good technical quality», he tells us. This is also the memory that Nemésio Martins keeps of the player. “It never caused us any problems. He was calm, impeccable, hardworking. A guy has been doing this for years and it's only when these things happen that he puts everything into perspective. It's not easy». One thing is certain: no one will forget this boy, as evidenced by the dozens of posts on social media from former companions. «I still don't know what tribute we're going to pay, but, in Moncarapacho, we won't let Nassur's memory be lost», says Nemésio. João Nivea wouldn't say it better. «We never forget those who run with us. Never. And that was Nassur».
