Puerta dies three days after collapse

Sevilla midfielder Antonio Puerta, one of Spain's most promising young players, died yesterday three days after collapsing during a Primera Liga match.

The 22-year-old Spanish international had been in a critical condition in the Virgen del Rocio hospital in Seville since being admitted on Saturday.

"We regret to report that the patient Antonio Puerta died at 1430 (1230 GMT) today. 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," the hospital said in a statement.

Sevilla said that Puerta's body would be taken to the club's Sanchez Pizjuan stadium where fans could pay their respects and that the player would be buried tomorrow.

"This is a difficult moment and I hope I'll be able to speak about this later, but at the moment I am unable to," tearful Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido told reporters.

The player was due to become a father for the first time in around a month and a half, Spanish media reported.

Sevilla's Champions League third qualifying round second leg against AEK Athens in Greece yesterday was postponed to next Monday but Friday's European Super Cup against Milan could still go ahead, UEFA said.

"We will transform the game on Friday into a tribute to Antonio Puerta," said UEFA's William Gaillard, special advisor to president Michel Platini.

"Of course, we will respect the Sevilla players if they feel they do not want to play. But we hope that this can be a dedication to their former team-mate."

Milan, Sevilla's opponents the Super Cup, expressed their condolences at the player's death, saying they were prepared to call off the game if necessary.

Puerta collapsed after jogging back towards his own goal 35 minutes into the game against Getafe at the Sanchez Pizjuan on Saturday night.

Team-mates and medical staff immediately rushed to his side and were seen preventing him from swallowing his tongue as he lost consciousness, but he was able to walk from the pitch.

Doctors said that he collapsed again in the changing rooms and had to be given cardiac resuscitation before being taken to hospital.

High profile deaths

There have been a number of high-profile deaths related to heart ailments in football in recent years.

Among those have been Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foe who collapsed and died in a Confederations Cup match in 2003 and Miklos Feher of Benfica who died in January 2004.

Sae Caetano defender Serginho died in a Brazilian championship match in October the same year and Hugo Cunha, of Uniao Leiria, was another victim in 2005.

Puerta was a product of Sevilla's impressive youth system breaking into the side in the 2004-5 season, before becoming a regular the following year as a versatile left sided player who could play as a wing back or midfielder.