Moldova football player Violeta Mitul dies aged 26 in hiking accident

Moldovan international football player, Violeta Mitul has died aged 26 in a tragic accident.

UEFA announced that Mitul passed away earlier this week following an accident while she was on a mountain hike with teammates from her club Einherji.

The left-back died after an accidental fall from a cliff in the harbour area near Vopnafjordur.

“The 26-year-old defender was involved in a tragic accident while on a mountain hike with club-mates,” UEFA said in a statement.

A statement from the Moldova Football Association confirmed the news. It read: “With deep sadness and pain, the Moldovan Football Association expresses its deepest condolences and deepest regrets. One of the women’s national team’s best players suffered a tragic accident while out with her teammates on a hike in the mountains.”

In a statement by Einherji, Mitul described Mitul as ‘kind, energetic and an exemplary footballer’.

“It is with deep sadness in our hearts that we announce the sudden death of our player, teammate and friend Violeta Mitul, who died in an accident on the night of September 4, aged just 26. The community in Vopnafjörður is in mourning.

“Violeta, who was born on April 3, 1997, in Moldova, joined Einherji in the spring of the year and played a key role in the women’s team in the summer championship. Violeta was kind, hard-working and a happy girl. She was a trusted team player and an exemplary soccer player.

“Her death is a shock to us all and the gap she leaves behind is huge. Our thoughts are with her teammates and coaches who mourn the loss in this time of grief.

“We send our deepest condolences to the family of Violeta, Alexandra, Maria, Veaceslav and Julia. At such a tragic time, there are no words or actions that will heal the wound left by the loss, but we will do what we can to relieve the pain of the bereaved family and friends.”

The defender is one of Moldova’s leading players, UEFA said, winning 40 caps for her country and playing soccer for clubs across Europe.

Mitul joined Icelandic club Einherji in early 2023 but had previously played for clubs in Spain, Italy, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. Earlier in her career, she also won the Moldovan and Romanian Cups while playing for Alga Tiraspol and Vasas Femina respectively.