Barcelona SC has confirmed the death of Mario Pineida (33 years old), a player for the Ecuadorian club, who was reportedly shot and killed in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Hours before his murder, Pineida had denounced on social media the club's failure to pay his salary and that of other first-team players since December 2024. In a joint statement, the squad affirmed that they continued playing out of "commitment, dedication, and absolute respect for the institution and for the club to rectify the situation." They also threatened not to appear for the next match. Initial reports from the Ecuadorian press also indicated that Pineida's wife was also killed, but the player's cousin denied the news in a video posted on social media.