A 21-year-old Spanish football coach from Malaga has died of coronavirus after doctors also diagnosed him with leukaemia.

Francisco Garcia, who managed the junior team of Malaga-based club Atletico Portada Alta, was rushed to hospital with severe symptoms of the virus.

But when he arrived doctors also identified the deadly blood cancer. They said he would have survived if he was not suffering from the pre-existing condition which made him more vulnerable to the virus than people of his age usually would be.

Mr Garcia is the fifth person in the Malaga region to die from the disease and is believed to be the youngest victime currently.

However, he was only informed of having cancer after going to the hospital with COVID-19 symptoms.

Media reports state that Garcia was advised to seek further medical help after struggling to breathe and was diagnosed with both coronavirus and pneumonia.

Further tests showed that Garcia had leukaemia, which increased the risk of contracting coronavirus and led to his tragic death.

The report also suggests that Garcia would have survived the bout of coronavirus had he not been suffering from leukaemia.

Spain is the second worst hit European country, having reported more than 8,000 cases and as many as 297 deaths.

A statement from his club, Atletico Portada Alta, read: “We want to express our deepest condolences to the family, friends and close friends of our coach Francisco Garcia who has left us, unfortunately.”