A soccer club is in mourning after a popular player fell to his death from a rooftop bar in Adelaide.
Mario Bacaj, 28, was supposed to play for the Adelaide Eagles Soccer Club on June 15, but around 10.15am posted in the team’s group chat he was feeling unwell and wouldn’t be able to play.
A few hours later, his teammates received the shattering news Bacaj was dead after falling from the eight-storey 2KW Bar and Restaurant in the CBD at about 4pm.
‘It’s devastated everyone,’ said one man connected to the club.
‘He’s Albanian, raised in Italy. He loved playing soccer. Just a happy, beautiful boy — like the most perfect boy in our community.’
‘We played with him every weekend.’
A soccer club is in mourning after a popular player fell to his death from a rooftop bar in Adelaide on June 15 (Mario Bacaj is pictured)
Bacaj died after falling from the 2KW Bar and Restaurant in the CBD about 4pm (pictured, playing for former club West Adelaide Raptors)
Police and emergency services swarmed the area on Sunday afternoon, with the venue (pictured) closed for several hours as they investigated the tragedy
Bacaj had resided in Adelaide for several years, working and studying, and was on the verge of obtaining his building licence.
On Monday, heartbroken teammates gathered at the footpath below the 2KW bar to lay white flowers and pay their respects.
One card read: ‘Pushafsh në Paqe Mario’ – Albanian for ‘Rest in peace Mario.’
Police and emergency services swarmed the area on Sunday afternoon, with the venue closed for several hours as they investigated the tragedy.
Trading was then suspended for the rest of the day.
A spokeswoman for 2KW Bar and Restaurant told News Corp they were ‘deeply saddened by the incident’.
It is understood Bacaj went to the venue alone and his death is not being treated as suspicious.
Help is available. Free and confidential counselling is available 24/7 at Lifeline, 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au; Beyond Blue, 1300 224 636 or beyondblue.org.au
