Sevilla's Puerta dies

[vj9999]

I was watching this game live on Saturday. He collapsed and got up and walked away. Later in the dressing room he collapsed again and had 3 more cardiac arrests. To make a story even sadder he was supposed to become a father next month too.

RIP

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6964586.stm

Sevilla's Puerta dies in hospital

Puerta helped Sevilla win the Uefa Cup last season

Spain international Antonio Puerta has died after suffering a heart attack in his club side Sevilla's 4-1 win against Getafe on Saturday. Defender Puerta, 22, collapsed in the first-half and medics prevented him from swallowing his tongue.
But he collapsed again after going off and was given cardiac resuscitation before being taken to hospital.
He was placed in intensive care and doctors said on Tuesday his condition had deteriorated before his death.
Puerta collapsed after jogging back towards his own goal 35 minutes into the opening league game of the season at the Sanchez Pizjuan on Saturday.
Team-mates and medical staff rushed to his side and were seen preventing him from swallowing his tongue as he lost consciousness.

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He was able to walk from the pitch but doctors said that he collapsed again in the changing rooms and had to be given cardiac resuscitation before being taken to the Virgen del Rocio hospital.
Hospital director Gimeno Guerrero said Puerta died of "multiple organ failure, stemming from prolonged cardiac arrest."
Sevilla were due to play AEK Athens in the second leg of a third round Champions League qualifier on Tuesday but the match has been postponed until Monday 3 September.
As a consequence, the league match against Osasuna that was scheduled for next Monday has been postponed.
There will also be a minute's silence in tribute of Puerta before every La Liga match next weekend.
A league statement said: "The Professional Football League wishes to pass on its most sincere condolences to the family of Antonio Puerta.
"It has also declared the next day of league play to be one of official mourning and asked all its affiliated teams to observe a minute's silence before the games."
European football's governing body said: "UEFA and the entire football family extend their sympathy and sincere condolences to the family of Antonio Puerta."

 

[KP]

I was watching as well. He seemed so young and athletic it made me wonder how it even happened to him. I was hoping he'd be all right, unfortunately it seems like the multiple heart attacks was too much.

RIP Puerta.

 

[VF21]

My thoughts and prayers to his friends, family and teammates. And extra prayers for his widow.

 

[Prophetess]

That's so sad. My condolences to the family.

 

[piksi]

As far as I am informed - he has had similar problems several times in the near past but the doctors couldn't find anything so they thought it was heat exhaustion.

R.I.P.

 

[piksi]

Puerta's Fainting Problem Was Well Known - Fabiano Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano has spoken to São Paulo broadcaster
rádio Jovem Pan and explained that the fainting problem that has kept team-mate Antonio Puerta in intensive care was well-known…

Antonio Puerta is still in critical condition after losing consciousness not once but twice during the Saturday match against Getafe in the Sánchez Pizjuan stadium in scenes initially horribly reminiscent of previous deaths.

Benfica’s Hungarian forward Miklós Fehér dropped in an eerily similar way in January 2004 and Cameroon's Marc Vivien Foe's sudden death at the Confederations Cup in June 2003 is also another tragic death etched on the memories of fans across the world.

Both players had suffered from unknown heart conditions that brought on their untimely deaths, doctors discovering the defects in post-mortem exams. So far it isn’t known if Antonio Puerta has been suffering from any cardiac problems, but the warning signs were there.

The first time against Getafe the Spaniard dropped to the floor like a stone and the panic-stricken reactions of his team-mates was, in Luis Fabiano’s eyes, due to the fact that the player had fainted previously and his colleagues were aware of the danger.

In an interview with rádio Jovem Pan the Brazilian forward was understandably depressed by the events and sounded exasperated that the problem wasn't a bolt from the blue. "He’d already fainted twice before, although the others weren’t as serious as this one”, he began.

“He’d fainted like that once at half time at the end of last season. It was a friendly [Luis Fabiano didn’t specify the match] and it was really hot, but as he recovered later on we all put it down to the heat.”

"The other time was during training and he fell in exactly the same way he did on Saturday. But he walked away and we thought it was heat exhaustion again as it was boiling then as well", he added

The events on Saturday were, however, far-reaching as after an apparent recovery – the same as Luis Fabiano had described, the player collapsed and had to be taken to the Virgen del Rocio hospital by ambulance.

22 year-old Puerta is in danger of suffering permanent brain damage after his heart stopped and the oxygen supply was cut. He’s currently on an iron lung and sedated in hospital with a steady stream of visitors wishing him well.

There is hope that he may, however, make a full recovery and doctors are holding out hope that an improvement is in the offing. Readers wanting to send a message of support can do so via a Sevilla FC e-mail address ('Puerta we're with you'): puertaestamoscontigo@sevillafc.es

too bad

 

[piksi]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFc25Hym6q8

not easy to watch

 

[kennadog]

How very sad. My condolences to his friends and loved ones.

 

[Dime Dropper]

I had just came on here to see if you all had known. This is so tragic, my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends, particularly his preganant wife.


I'd just like to add that this is far too regular an occurence, UEFA needs to bring in a screening process that each player must go through to try to prevent needless deaths. We've already seen Foe, Feher, and Serginho die from unfound heart conditions.

To add to all this, Nottingham Forest player Clive Clark collapsed in the dressing room of his game against Leicester last night at half time. His heart stopped, not once but twice, and doctors had to use a defibrillator as mouth to mouth would not work.

Clark seems to be recovering though and he's been sitting up in hospital and talking. I just hope and pray he makes a full recovery.


It's not just football players who have been collapsing, players here in my country (Ireland) have died from collapsing on the pitch while playing out national sport.
This is too regular and something needs to be done.


RIP Antonio Puerta.

 

[Rockmeister]

This is really sad.

RIP Puerta.