Madrid, Mar 17 (PTI) A 21-year-old youth football coach has died in Malaga after contracting the dreaded COVID-19, his club said.

Francisco Garcia, a youth team coach of Spanish league second division side Atletico Portada Alta, was found to be suffering from leukaemia after being rushed to a local hospital with severe COVID-19 symptoms.

"We want to express our deepest condolences to the family, friends and close friends of our coach Francisco Garcia who has left us, unfortunately. Now, what do we do without you, Francis?" the club, which played in La Liga 2, said.

"How are we going to continue conquering … in the league? We don't know how, but we will surely do it for you. We will not forget you, rest in peace, phenomenon. Until forever."

Local media quoted medical experts as saying that Garcia could have survived had he not been suffering from leukaemia.

Garcia has become the fifth and youngest victim of the illness in the region.

The Spaniard died on Sunday after testing positive for COVID-19 last week, having been sent to the Regional Hospital of Malaga for treatment.

Spain has become one of the most affected countries in the world with more than 300 deaths and above 9,000 confirmed cases of the dreaded virus.

More than 170,000 have tested positive worldwide for COVID-19 pandemic and out of them, more than 7,000 have died so far.

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