Gints Freimanis is dead. The ex-national player Latvia died last Monday at the age of 38. This was announced by the national football association on Tuesday. The statement read: “Gints Freimanis will always be remembered by fans as a relentless fighter on the field who was willing to do anything for his team.”

Freimanis was a fighter on and off the field. Unfortunately, he lost his battle with cancer. The Latvian was diagnosed with skin cancer in October 2021, when the disease was already in the 4th stage. The cancer had metastasized and spread throughout the body.

Freimanis dies at the age of only 38

An operation in the groin area was planned, then the midfielder received the news that metastases had also spread to his brain. Freimanis went public asking for donations for treatment.

He was quoted as saying in the Latvian donation portal “Ziedot.lv”: “Unfortunately, during routine examinations on January 17, metastases in the head were discovered. I need your help to continue the treatment. May God have mercy!”

Freimanis played in Germany

With the late shock message, he also officially ended his career. Most recently he played for Leevon Saldus in Latvia’s second division. He won the cup for the first time with FK Ventspils (2005), followed by three more titles with FK Jelgava (2010, 2014, 2015). Overall, he ran 13 times for the Latvian national team.

In Germany he played from 2011 to 2013 for the then association league team FC Pommern Greifswald and was promoted to the Oberliga Nordost. The association dissolved in 2015.

The association said: “At this sad moment, the LFF Gints family, relatives, friends, colleagues and the entire Latvian football community expresses its deepest condolences.”