Shakhtar striker Maicon dies in a traffic accident

Donetsk: Shakhtar Donetsk Brazilian striker Maicon Pereira de Oliveira died in a traffic accident early Saturday, the club said.

"He was a talented footballer, open and friendly guy. Maicon loved life and knew how to make it positive and bright. Tragic, untimely and absurd death took away a wonderful person from our ranks," the club said in a statement published on the official website.

The 25-year-old, was on a loan to the Ukrainian league club Illichivets Mariupol until the end of the 2013-14 season. No further details of the crash have been revealed at this stage.