PRESS CONFERENCE | Yael Trepy’s condition

The Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Sassari held a press conference to provide an update on the clinical condition of Rossoblù player Yael Trepy, who is currently being treated in the Emergency and Urgent Care Intensive Care Unit at the Santissima Annunziata Hospital in Sassari. Serafinangelo Ponti, Director General of the AOU of Sassari, Cagliari Calcio President Tommaso Giulini, and Stefania Milia, Director of the Emergency and Urgent Care Intensive Care Unit at the Santissima Annunziata Hospital, attended the meeting with the media.

Also present for the Rossoblù club were Sporting Director Pietro Accardi, First Team Head Coach Fabio Pisacane, and Roberto Muzzi from the Scouting Department.

The press conference was held this afternoon in the meeting room of Palazzo Bompiani, headquarters of the AOU of Sassari’s General Management.

Serafinangelo Ponti, Director General of the AOU of Sassari, spoke first:

“We are fortunately here to talk about a story with a happy ending. I read some terms in today’s press that I would certainly like to correct somewhat, particularly the word ‘miracle’. It is not a miracle, but the result of good healthcare and the excellent work of the entire Sardinian healthcare system. Starting with Areus, which provided assistance and initial treatment to Yael Trepy. I would like to stress that, for us, working in this way is normal and part of our daily routine, whether we are dealing with a famous patient or someone less well known who will not be in the newspapers. From healthcare support workers to doctors, nurses and anaesthetists, everyone who worked away from the spotlight made a crucial contribution to saving a life. The Sardinian healthcare system is often spoken about very negatively. None of us is perfect or infallible, but in this case I feel it is important to emphasise how the ideal conditions were created to do what is our everyday job well. People who work every day, on Ferragosto as well as Christmas, and who do so for this reason. Sometimes the issue of poor healthcare in Sardinia is discussed too lightly or too harshly. We all make mistakes, but this is a good and appropriate opportunity to highlight the positive aspects.”

Cagliari Calcio President Tommaso Giulini said:

“I would like to thank all the healthcare staff, first and foremost Dr Milia. This was a great example of promptness and expertise. The emergency services arrived less than five minutes after the incident; just a little more time could have resulted in a much more serious situation, perhaps even a fatal one. Those who assisted Yael Trepy did not know that he was a footballer. Within around ten minutes he had already been intubated and was receiving medical care. We were all extremely worried. Our doctor Gabriele Cirillo and physiotherapist Simone Ruggiu kept us constantly updated from here while staying with the boy. I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart, as well as everyone who made it possible for Yael Trepy to still be with us.”

Stefania Milia, Director of the Emergency and Urgent Care Intensive Care Unit at the Santissima Annunziata Hospital, said:

“Areus’s intervention within a few minutes was decisive. The proximity of the Olbia base made it possible to assist Yael Trepy quickly. The emergency team intubated him; his condition was certainly critical due to severe respiratory distress caused by the large amount of water present. We did not detect any other substance, and this must be reiterated. His condition progressively improved and then rapidly became satisfactory. We were able to wake him and found no neurological complications. Yael is breathing well. For now, he needs to be monitored, and gradually we will be able to establish a pathway that will lead him out of intensive care. I would like to thank our colleagues in Radiology, the Laboratory and Microbiology, as well as all the healthcare staff at the Santissima Annunziata Hospital. It was a fundamental team effort, and we are very satisfied with the patient’s clinical progress and with the way everyone has worked to the best of their ability, from the edge of that swimming pool to today.”

The Rossoblù president added:

“At the moment, Yael is with Mister Pisacane, Roberto Muzzi and Sporting Director Pietro Accardi. It was important for Yael to see Pisacane and Muzzi first of all because over these years they have helped him grow in every respect. They were very shaken, really, almost as much as his mother, with whom I have been in constant contact. I hope to see him shortly, if possible. I would like to thank all the healthcare staff and the management for the great discretion they have shown, which could not be taken for granted with a Serie A footballer and the attention that cases like this generate.”


“What happened was certainly something unique in my life, beyond football. His mother told me that Yael does not remember anything about what happened. The thought of losing him in such a foolish swimming pool accident was terrifying. We know that he fell asleep in the sun for two or three hours with his phone on his chest. The two teammates who were with him even teased him about the tan mark on his chest. He was in the shallow end of the pool and slipped into the part where he could not touch the bottom. I know from Edoardo Oggianu, his agent, that he cannot swim. We imagine that panic may also have set in, compounded by sunstroke. They found him face down. All of this was also confirmed by our CEO Carlo Catte, who knew that the house had been rented by the boys and that things had happened in this way, and that there was no alcohol or drugs in Yael’s system. A girl immediately raised the alarm, and a teammate and a former teammate jumped in to save him. He was vomiting water and was unconscious. The prompt emergency response was crucial in removing a huge amount of water from his lungs and providing oxygen by intubating him.”

“How long will he remain in hospital?” Stefania Milia said. “He will have to move from intensive care to a ward more suited to his condition. We will see from tomorrow morning how he progresses. If everything goes well, I do not expect a particularly long hospital stay. He will then be under the care of Dr Pinna Parpaglia, Director of the Emergency Medicine Department. What sports doctors and others decide afterwards is obviously not up to us, but there will be time for that. What did he say when he woke up? He corrected me on the pronunciation of his name. His mother came in about an hour after he was extubated. The boy has no neurological complications of any kind.”