When the payer Chris Naumoff (picture) left Sydney FC to sign with Numancia he did not know that he had the inherited HCM disease. HCM has been blamed for the sudden deaths of otherwise fit athletes. It caused the on-field collapse and near death of ex-Bolton Wanderers player Fabrice Muamba in 2012. Is a Duty of Care owed by a club when there is a failure to detect a medical condition that halts the career of the player?
Background
The Australian football player Chris Naumoff (Naumoff) made his professional debut for the A-League team Sydney FC at the age at age 18 and also represented Australia at Under-20 and Under-23 levels. After solid performances in A-League, in 2016 Naumoff completed a compelling career move to Spanish Segunda Division club Numancia, where he was offered a three-year contract.
In order to complete his signing at Numancia, Naumoff undertook as mandatory medical assessment which included the requisite heart checks. At Numancia it was found that there was an abnormality in his heart known as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).
When Naumoff left Sydney FC to sign with Numancia he did not know that he had the inherited HCM disease. HCM has been blamed for the sudden deaths of otherwise fit athletes. It caused the on-field collapse...
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