Puerta, leave behind his pregnant
girlfriend
The Sevilla and Spain wing-back Antonio Puerta has died
aged 22 after collapsing during his side's match against Getafe on
Saturday. Puerta collapsed after jogging back towards his own goal
35 minutes into the opening league game of the season at the
Sánchez Pizjuán on Saturday. Team-mates and medical staff rushed to
his side and were seen preventing him from swallowing his tongue as
he lost consciousness.
Puerta, who had passed a medical with his club three weeks ago, was
able to walk from the pitch after being attended to by medical
staff on Saturday, but then collapsed again in the changing rooms
and was given cardiac resuscitation.
Doctors at the Virgen del Rocio hospital in Seville confirmed his
death. "We regret to report that the patient Antonio Puerta died at
[1230 GMT] today," read a hospital statement. "The death was caused
by postanoxic encephalopathy and a multiple failure of his organs
caused by the prolonged cardiac arrest that provoked his admission
to hospital." Puerta's body will now be taken to the Sánchez
Pizjuán, where fans will be able to pay their respects before he is
buried on Thursday.
The Spanish Football League issued its condolences to Puerta's
family and Sevilla's supporters in a statement. "The LFP has asked
all their fans to respect a one-minute silence before each game of
the second round of the Primera Liga," it read. Sevilla's city
rivals Real Betis also issued a statement, in which the Betis owner
Manuel Ruiz de Lopera said: "This is a blow to the whole of
Seville. Our thoughts are with Sevilla, with the player's family
and with the player, who I am sure will be in heaven."
Puerta, whose girlfriend is pregnant, had been a member of the
Sevilla first team for three seasons and spent 14 years in total
with the club he joined as a boy.
