Sevilla Player Suffers Heart Attack on Pitch

[Rhys]

From BBC

Spain international Antonio Puerta is in a serious condition after suffering a heart attack in Sevilla's 4-1 Primera Liga win against Getafe on Saturday.
The 22-year-old suffered problems midway through the first-half on the opening day of the season in Spain.

Medics prevented Puerta from swallowing his tongue, but he collapsed again after going off and was given cardiac resuscitation before going to hospital.

A medical report on Sunday said Puerta was in intensive care in hospital.

But Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido said doctors were becoming more optimistic.

"The player's life was saved thanks to the rapid intervention of the club doctors and the Red Cross because he had a number of cardiac arrests," del Nido was quoted as saying on the club's website after visiting Puerta on Sunday.

"Despite the severity of the situation his situation appears to be evolving favourably and the doctors are becoming more optimistic."

Puerta collapsed after jogging back towards his own goal 35 minutes into the game 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.

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 hospital.

AC Milan, Sevilla's opponents in Friday's European Super Cup issued a statement on Sunday wishing the player a speedy recovery.

Team-mate Ivica Dragutinovic was first to Puerta's aid and midfielder Renato said: "We were very frightened, but the doctors knew what they were doing.

"It was difficult to continue playing. This victory is dedicated to Puerta."

Sevilla coach Juande Ramos was in no mood to talk about his side's victory after the match.

"I don't have the mind to speak now. The reason I am here is because we are all professionals, but I have no desire to talk of the game or anything," Ramos said.

"I would like to see the player. The game does not have any importance compared with the health of a player."

I was watching the match when he collapsed and it didnt look great, but I would never have thought heart attack for a 22 year old. Brings back memories of Marc Vivian-Foe

Puerta's a classy player so hope he's ok.

 

[MHS]

Wish him a speedy recovery.

 

[fludie]

Wish him a speedy recovery.

Ditto

 

[City Fan]

He has now died.

RIP Puerta.

 

[Rhys]

Just been confirmed that Antonio Puerta has died today, aged 22. His condition had considerably worsened overnight.

Huge loss to Spanish and European football as he would have had a great career, for both club and country.




RIP

 

[Hazzman]

RIP - Too many sportsmen are dying to due to the stress their hearts are taking.

 

[Spanky Fox]

RIP, a another great talent loss

 

[MHS]

Awful news. First QPR and now Sevilla have lost very exciting potential stars. R.I.P.

 

[SwedeFox]

What's going on here? Three players have died in the last week! It's not supposed to be like that, not at all. It's depressing every time.

Rest in peace.

 

[pds]

What's going on here? Three players have died in the last week! It's not supposed to be like that, not at all. It's depressing every time.

Rest in peace.

Who was the other one? obviously Jones and the Sevilla player.

 

[mowbray-fox]

R.I.P horrible news

 

[SwedeFox]

Who was the other one? obviously Jones and the Sevilla player.

A player from the Walsall academy died when he was playing football. http://www.walsall.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=79529

 

[Foxes_fan]

I can't believe he died.

Was he a regular first teamer?

 

[Rhys]

I can't believe he died.

Was he a regular first teamer?

Yep, and he'd only recently made his international debut for Spain.

Rumours that he was a Real Madrid target as well


What makes it worse is that his wife is expecting their first child too

 

[Feriol]

There is something worrying. with tonights events added to these other 3. serious questions need to be asked about players healths

 

[Steven]

There is something worrying. with tonights events added to these other 3. serious questions need to be asked about players healths

Is this included?

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/7165108

On Aug. 18, Argentina rugby center Martin Gaitan fainted in the locker room at Millennium Stadium after playing Wales and was rushed to a Cardiff hospital, where he had an operation to repair a partial tear in a coronary artery. He was released from the hospital four days later and will miss the World Cup, which starts next week.

 

[MHS]

The incident in Spain has certainly brought tonight's events into perspective.

 

[Hazzman]

If I remember correctly Matt Gadsby's death was the same time last year as this spat of incidents.

Maybe something to do with heat/humidity and stress on the heart in training etc.?!?

 

[Rhys]

And Marc-Vivian Foe died playing for Cameroon in the 2003 Confederations cup, which was played in the middle of summer in France. He did have heart problems which were virtually undectable, but the heat probably played some part in triggering the heart attack

 

[Steven]

And Marc-Vivian Foe died playing for Cameroon in the 2003 Confederations cup, which was played in the middle of summer in France. He did have heart problems which were virtually undectable, but the heat probably played some part in triggering the heart attack

Sub tropical in Nottingham last night?