Antonio Puerta
Encyclopedia
Antonio José Puerta Pérez (26 November 1984 – 28 August 2007) was a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 footballer who played solely for Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...

.

Mainly a left midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 who could also operate as an offensive left back, he died on 28 August 2007, affected with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia , also called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy or arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy , is an inherited heart disease....

, three days after suffering a series of cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...

s during a league
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

 game against Getafe
Getafe CF
Getafe Club de Fútbol is a Spanish La Liga football club based in Getafe, a city in the Madrid metropolitan area, founded in 1946 and refounded in 1983.In the top level since 2004-05, it holds home games at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez....

 on the 25th.

Club career

Born in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...

, Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...

, Puerta joined Sevilla as a boy and spent a total of 14 years at the club, growing up at the club's acclaimed youth system alongside other players such as Sergio Ramos
Sérgio Ramos
Sérgio Bruno Antunes Selores Ramos is a Portuguese basketball player.He measures 2.00 metres and plays as a Forward . He announced the end of his international career, after Portugal's exit from the EuroBasket 2007...

, Jesús Navas
Jesús Navas
Jesús Navas González is a Spanish footballer who plays for Sevilla FC in La Liga.A right winger who can play on the left flank on occasion, his main assets are his quick feet which also allow him to be very good at dribbling and an ability to run at opposing defenders.-Club career:Navas joined...

, José Antonio Reyes
José Antonio Reyes
José Antonio Reyes Calderón is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.Mainly a left winger but also a forward, he made his professional debuts for hometown's Sevilla at only 16, signing with England's Arsenal aged 20.After a relatively successful career abroad, Reyes...

, Alejandro Alfaro
Alejandro Alfaro
Alejandro Alfaro Ligero is a Spanish footballer who plays for RCD Mallorca in La Liga.Mainly a right winger, he can also operate as a second striker.-Club career:...

 and Kepa Blanco. His first division
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

 debut came on 21 March 2004, as he played 71 minutes in a 0–1 home defeat against Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...

 neighbours Málaga CF
Málaga CF
Málaga Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Málaga, Andalusia. The team currently plays in Spain's La Liga.Málaga CF is generally seen as the successor to CD Málaga, one of the most historical Andalusian football clubs, by being a near-identical looking football club that even shares...

.

Definitely promoted to the first squad for 2005–06
2005–06 La Liga
* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Betis* Cádiz CF* Celta de Vigo* Deportivo Alaves* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Málaga CF* RCD Mallorca* CA Osasuna* Racing de Santander* Real Madrid* Real Sociedad* Sevilla FC...

, Puerta became intimately connected to Sevilla's history on 27 April 2006, when he netted against FC Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...

 in the UEFA Cup semifinals. In the final moments of the match, he received a long ball and struck it with his left foot, for the 1–0 final (and aggregate) win. Sevilla went on to collect five titles in fifteen months, with Puerta scoring his penalty shootout attempt in the 2007 UEFA Cup final
2007 UEFA Cup Final
-Match statistics:*-See also:*2006–07 UEFA Cup*UEFA Intertoto Cup*2007 UEFA Champions League Final...

, against fellow first-divisioner RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...

. His impressive performances earned him international recognition and reported interest from Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

, Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 and Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...

, but all bids were rejected.

Death

On 25 August 2007, Puerta collapsed and lost consciousness in the penalty area
Penalty area
The penalty area , is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends to each side of the goal and in front of it. Within the penalty area is the penalty spot , which is from the goal line, directly in-line with the centre of the goal...

 due to a cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...

 during Sevilla's first match of the 2007–08 at homeground Sánchez Pizjuán
Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán is a stadium in Seville, Spain. It is the home stadium of Sevilla Fútbol Club. It was the venue for the 1986 European Cup Final between Steaua Bucureşti and Barcelona and the 1982 World Cup semi-final game between Germany and France.This stadium contains a singular...

 against Getafe CF
Getafe CF
Getafe Club de Fútbol is a Spanish La Liga football club based in Getafe, a city in the Madrid metropolitan area, founded in 1946 and refounded in 1983.In the top level since 2004-05, it holds home games at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez....

. He was seen crouching and then subsequently collapsing upon moving back to his team's goal
Goal (sport)
Goal refers to a method of scoring in many sports. It can also refer to the physical structure or area of the playing surface where scoring occurs....

, after only 35 minutes of the game had passed. Teammates Ivica Dragutinović
Ivica Dragutinovic
Ivica Dragutinović , sometimes just Drago, is a Serbian footballer.Mainly a central defender, he can also operate as a defensive left back...

 and Andrés Palop
Andrés Palop
Andrés Palop Cervera is a Spanish footballer who plays for Sevilla FC as a goalkeeper.After having languished on the bench of hometown side Valencia for most of his stay, he became a premiere player with Sevilla well into his 30's, helping it consolidate in both the domestic and European...

 immediately ran to his side as he lost consciousness. Moments later, club medical staff and other players followed suit.

After recovering and being substituted, Puerta was able to walk to the dressing room, where he collapsed once again. He was resuscitated by the doctors and taken, by ambulance, to the intensive care unit
Intensive Care Unit
thumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...

 of Virgen del Rocío hospital, where he received cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...

.

Puerta died on 28 August 2007, at 14:30. Doctor Francisco Murillo reported that Puerta had suffered multiple organ failure
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome ', previously known as multiple organ failure or multisystem organ failure , is altered organ function in an acutely ill patient requiring medical intervention to achieve homeostasis...

 and irreversible brain damage as a result of multiple prolonged cardiac arrests due to an incurable, hereditary heart disease known as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia , also called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy or arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy , is an inherited heart disease....

. There is no official word on whether he had ever been equipped with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is a small battery-powered electrical impulse generator which is implanted in patients who are at risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. The device is programmed to detect cardiac arrhythmia and correct it...

, an essential precaution in people with the disease. Puerta's premature death from heart problems is similar to those of Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroonian international footballer, who played in midfield for both club and country. With success in the French League, and stints in the English Premier League, his sudden death, while in the middle of an international competitive fixture, came as a shock to the worldwide...

, Matt Gadsby
Matt Gadsby
Matthew John Gadsby was an English professional footballer. Born in Sutton Coldfield, he played for Walsall, Mansfield Town, Kidderminster Harriers, Forest Green and Hinckley United as a defender and midfielder....

, Miklós Fehér
Miklós Fehér
Miklós "Miki" Fehér was a Hungarian footballer who played as a striker.On 25 January 2004, Fehér died of a cardiac arrest during a match between Vitória de Guimarães and his team Benfica in Guimarães, Portugal....

, Renato Curi
Renato Curi
Renato Curi was an Italian footballer best known for his tenure as Perugia mainstay in the 1970s until his death during a league game against Juventus.-Biography:...

, Serginho
Paulo Sérgio de Oliveira Silva
Paulo Sérgio Oliveira da Silva, better known as Serginho was a Brazilian footballer.Serginho started his career in the town of Coronel Fabriciano, Minas Gerais state, Brazil...

 and Phil O'Donnell all of whom collapsed whilst playing in football matches. His girlfriend was expecting their first child at the time of his death.

As a mark of respect, players from both Sevilla and city rivals Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....

 attended his funeral days after his death. Following Puerta's death, FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

 ordered the installation of resuscitation rooms in every stadium that hosted the South American World Cup qualifiers.

Tributes

As a result of Puerta's death, Sevilla's UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

 qualifier against AEK Athens F.C. was postponed until the fourth of September – Sevilla eventually won 4–1. The club also announced that a one-minute silence
Moment of silence
A moment of silence is the expression for a period of silent contemplation, prayer, reflection, or meditation. Similar to flying a flag at half-mast, a moment of silence is often a gesture of respect, particularly in mourning for those who have recently died or as part of a commemoration ceremony...

 would be held before every league match on the weekend of September 1–2, 2007.

Additionally, Sevilla's UEFA Super Cup game
2007 UEFA Super Cup
The 2007 UEFA Super Cup was the 32nd UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match between the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions. The match was held at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 31 August 2007 and contested by Milan and Sevilla...

 with A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...

 on 31 August went ahead, as a tribute to the player, with all 22 participants having the name 'PUERTA' printed on the back of their jersey. The players and officials on both sides also wore black armbands.

Sevilla subsequently retired
Retired numbers in football (soccer)
Association football clubs around the world sometimes retire squad numbers to recognise players' loyal service, sometimes as a memorial after their death.-Background:...

 Puerta's number 16 shirt, with the provision that should his son, Aitor Antonio (born 22 October 2007), one day play for the club, he will have the option to bring the number out of retirement. However, Spanish football teams were not allowed to do so, as the Royal Spanish Football Federation stated that clubs should use number 1 to 25 for their regular squad, with no additional room for manoeuvre. As a result, central defender David Prieto wore the shirt in 2007–08, in honour of his friend.

Former Sevilla and Spain teammate Sergio Ramos
Sérgio Ramos
Sérgio Bruno Antunes Selores Ramos is a Portuguese basketball player.He measures 2.00 metres and plays as a Forward . He announced the end of his international career, after Portugal's exit from the EuroBasket 2007...

 wore a white t-shirt with Puerta's picture on the front and the number 16 on the back, during celebrations of the national side's UEFA Euro 2008 victory. Under the picture it read "Siempre con nosotros" ("Always with us"). Ramos also wore a shirt with Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...

 that showed his brotherhood with Puerta during a game against Villarreal CF
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...

 when Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...

 scored in a 5–0 away routing.

In April 2010, Sevilla built a sculpture in the José Ramón Cisneros Palacios sports centre in homage to Puerta. The statue was unveiled exactly four years after he scored against Schalke 04 to take the club into the UEFA Cup final in 2006. On July 11, as Spain lifted the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...

 in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, while celebrating after collecting their winners medals, Ramos and another former Sevilla teammate, Navas, wore T-shirts in his honour.

International career

Puerta was capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...

 once by the Spanish national side
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...

, on 7 October 2006, against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...

. He replaced Deportivo de La Coruña
Deportivo de La Coruña
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia; founded in 1906 and currently playing in Segunda División...

's Joan Capdevila
Joan Capdevila
Joan Capdevila i Méndez is a Spanish footballer who plays for S.L. Benfica in Portugal, and the Spanish national team.His usual position is left defender, but he is also capable of operating as a winger and, from a defensive position, often contributes with goals...

, entering in the 52nd minute of a 0–2 away loss for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers.

Additionally, Puerta played five times for the U-21s
Spain national under-21 football team
The Spain national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of Spain and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The team, nicknamed La Rojita , competes in the biannual European Under-21 Football Championship.Following the realignment of UEFA's youth...

.

Honours

  • Sevilla
    Sevilla FC
    Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...

    :
    • UEFA Cup: 2005–06, 2006–07
    • UEFA Super Cup: 2006
      2006 UEFA Super Cup
      The 2006 UEFA Super Cup was the 31st edition of the annual UEFA Super Cup, a UEFA-sponsored football club match that pitted the winners of the UEFA Champions League against the winners of the UEFA Cup...

    • Spanish Cup
      Copa del Rey
      The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....

      : 2006–07
    • Spanish Supercup
      Supercopa de España
      The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...

      : 2007
      2007 Supercopa de España
      The 2007 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 11 August and 19 August 2007. It contested by Sevilla FC, who were Spanish Cup winners in 2006–07, and Real Madrid, who won the 2006–07 Spanish League. Sevilla FC won 6–3 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-References:...


  • Spain U23
    Spain national under-21 football team
    The Spain national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of Spain and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The team, nicknamed La Rojita , competes in the biannual European Under-21 Football Championship.Following the realignment of UEFA's youth...

    :
    • Mediterranean Games
      Mediterranean Games
      The Mediterranean Games are a multi-sport games held every four years, mainly for nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea, where Europe, Africa and Asia meet. The idea was proposed at the 1948 Summer Olympics by Muhammed Taher Pasha, chairman of the Egyptian Olympic Committee, and they were first...

      : 2005
      Football at the 2005 Mediterranean Games
      The football competition at the 2005 Mediterranean Games was won by Spain. The competition took place between June 23, with the final being held on July 3, 2005. 9 teams participated in this event:These nine teams were sorted into three groups of three teams...


External links

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