LI MEJU SE NDEVANE Antonio José Puerta Pérez (26 November 1984 -- 28 August 2007) was a Spanish international football midfielder. He played for Sevilla FC in La Liga. Affected with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, he died on 28 August 2007, three days after suffering a series of cardiac arrests during a league game against Getafe CF on 25 August 2007.[1]A natural left-footer, Puerta joined Sevilla as a boy and spent a total of 14 years at the club,[2] growing up at the club's acclaimed youth system alongside other players such as Sergio Ramos, Jesús Navas, Alejandro Alfaro and Kepa Blanco.[3] He played on the left side of midfield, although he did occasionally fill in at left back. His impressive performances earned him international recognition and reported interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Real Madrid.[4]
Puerta had been capped once by the Spanish national side, making his debut on October 6, 2006, against Sweden in a qualification match for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship.[3] He was also capped for Spain U-21.
Death

Antonio Puerta, in 2006On 25 August 2007, Puerta collapsed and lost consciousness due to a heart attack during Sevilla's first match of the 2007-08 La Liga season at their home stadium Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán against Getafe.[5] He was seen crouching and then subsequently collapsing upon moving back to his team's goal, after only 35 minutes of the game had passed.[2] His team-mates Ivica Dragutinović, Andrés Palop and a club medical staff were then seen immediately running to his side as he began to lose consciousness.
After recovering and being substituted, Puerta collapsed once again in the changing room. He was taken to hospital in an ambulance, where he received cardiopulmonary resuscitation.[6] Doctors reported that his condition had deteriorated since arriving at hospital, and he eventually passed away at the Virgen del Rocio hospital in Sevilla on 28 August.[7][8] Doctor Francisco Murillo reported that Puerta had suffered multiple organ failure 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.[9] There is no official word on whether he had ever been equipped with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Puerta's premature death from heart problems is similar to those of Marc-Vivien Foe, Miklos Feher and Serginho.
He is survived by his girlfriend, who is expecting their first child.[2] As a result of Antonio Puerta's death, Sevilla's UEFA Champions League qualifier against AEK Athens was postponed. The club have also announced that a one-minute silence will be respected before every La Liga match on the weekend of 1/2 September. UEFA have announced Sevilla's European Super Cup game with AC Milan on Friday 31 August will go ahead as a tribute to Antonio Puerta.
Honours
Club
Sevilla
UEFA Cup: 2006, 2007
UEFA Super Cup: 2006
Spanish Super Cup: 2007
Spanish Cup: 2007
Licursi Cup: 2007
References
Wikinews has related news:
European football: Sevilla player dies after collapsing during game^ Sevilla star dies after collapse
^ a b c "Sevilla midfielder Puerta dies", Guardian Unlimited, 2007-08-28. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
^ a b Mark Ellington. "Spanish football reels after death of Puerta", Reuters, Guardian Unlimited, 2007-08-28. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
^ Graeme Bailey, Mark Kendall. "United join Puerta race", Sky Sports, 2006-12-13. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
^ "Sevilla star suffers heart attack", BBC Sport, 2007-08-25. Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
^ "PUERTA ESTÁ "ESTABLE", DESPUÉS DE QUE SE HAYA "TEMIDO POR SU VIDA"", AS, 2007-08-25. Retrieved on 2007-08-28. (Spanish)
^ "Fallece el sevillista Antonio Puerta tras más de dos días en la UCI", El Mundo, 2007-08-28. Retrieved on 2007-08-28. (Spanish)
^ "Sevilla's Puerta dies three days after collapse", ESPNsoccernet, 2007-08-28. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
^ "Fallece el futbolista del Sevilla Antonio Puerta", El Pais, 2007-08-28. Retrieved on 2007-08-28. (Spanish)
Retrieved from "n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Puerta"
Categories: Recent deaths | Current events as of August 2007 | Spanish footballers | Football (soccer) midfielders | Spain international footballers | Sevilla FC footballers | La Liga footballers | 1984 births | 2007 deaths MADRID - È morto martedì il difensore 22enne del Siviglia e della nazionale spagnola Antonio Puerta. Il giocatore era svenuto in campo sabato sera Il giocatore del Siviglia Antonio Puerta, ricoverato in condizioni critiche da sabato dopo un arresto cardiorespiratorio nella partita col Getafe
Siamo alla mezz'ora del primo tempo della sfida di Liga spagnola tra Siviglia e Getafe: il 22enne centrocampista della squadra andalusa Antonio Puerta si accascia al suolo.