Bas Dost has communicated again from the hospital through a letter. In an open letter to the fans of NEC, he informs them that he will be stepping away from football for the time being. Last Sunday, Dost had to leave the field in the abandoned match at AZ.
Embed from Getty Images
Bas Dost has issued another statement from the hospital through a letter. In an open letter to the fans of NEC, the 34-year-old striker writes that he will be temporarily distancing himself from football. Dost had to leave the field during last Sunday's match between AZ and NEC in Alkmaar that was subsequently abandoned.
'I have now heard from my cardiologist what caused what happened to me during the match AZ – NEC in Alkmaar,' writes the striker. 'I have undergone many tests in the past few days, and they have revealed that I have an inflamed heart muscle (myocarditis). There can be various reasons why a heart muscle becomes inflamed, and the consequences can be quite serious, but I was lucky to have been successfully resuscitated on the field. I cannot stress enough how grateful I am to the medical staff of NEC and AZ for their prompt action on the field.'
'The investigations will continue in the coming days, and after that, I will go home and need to rest to fully recover from this. Only after that will I gain more insight into my future and be able to share more at that time. For now, I am stepping away from football and will spend the upcoming time with my family. I hope everyone respects that. In the coming months, I will naturally report back to the Goffertstadion. Then I will also tell my story, especially to help the sports world and to learn from what happened to me and how I am still here to tell the tale.'
'Yesterday afternoon, I spoke to our staff and my fellow players during lunch. I was happy to see and speak to them again. I explained to them what happened to me, what the cause was, and what the upcoming period looks like for me. I would like to emphasize that my inflammation has nothing to do with vaccinations. I told them that I am confident in my recovery and that I will bounce back. I hope that now they can refocus on football. They need to concentrate on today's and Sunday's matches against Roda JC and FC Volendam. I will be watching those games on TV and cheering on my colleagues.'
'Everyone knows I will miss the game. First and foremost, my colleagues, but also the supporters, the training, and the atmosphere in football stadiums. I enjoy that immensely. However, now is the time to look after myself and to rest. I am counting on nothing else but my recovery among my family.'
'I want to thank everyone from the football world again, at home and abroad. You have shown me so much attention. That has touched and supported me and my family.'
Updated: 03:23, 2 Nov 2023
