Antonio Puerta facts for kids

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Antonio Puerta

Personal information
Full name	Antonio José Puerta Pérez
Date of birth	(1984-11-26)26 November 1984
Place of birth	Seville, Spain
Date of death	28 August 2007(2007-08-28) (aged 22)
Place of death	Seville, Spain
Height	1.83 m
Playing position	Wingback
Youth career
	AD Nervión
1993–2002	Sevilla
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2005	Sevilla B	69	(6)
2004–2007	Sevilla	55	(5)
Total		124	(11)
National team
2004–2005	Spain U21	5	(0)
2005	Spain U23	5	(2)
2006	Spain	1	(0)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Antonio José Puerta Pérez (born 26 November 1984 – died 28 August 2007) was a Spanish professional footballer. He played his entire career for Sevilla, a famous club in Spain.

Antonio was mainly a left midfielder, but he could also play as an attacking left back. He sadly passed away on 28 August 2007. This happened three days after he had some heart problems during a La Liga game against Getafe.

Puerta was a key player for Sevilla. He helped his club win five important titles. He also played once for the Spanish national team.

Antonio Puerta's Club Career

Antonio Puerta was born in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. He joined Sevilla FC when he was just a boy. He spent 14 years at the club, growing up in their excellent youth system. Many other talented players, like Jesús Navas and Sergio Ramos, also came from this system.

Antonio made his first appearance in La Liga (Spain's top football league) on 21 March 2004. He played for 71 minutes in a game against Málaga CF.

Becoming a Star at Sevilla

Antonio became a full-time player for the first team in the 2005–06 season. He made history for Sevilla on 27 April 2006. He scored a very important goal against FC Schalke 04 in the semifinals of the UEFA Cup.

In the last moments of the match, he got a long pass and shot it with his left foot. This goal made the score 1–0, which meant Sevilla won the game and moved forward. After this, Sevilla went on to win five titles in just 15 months!

Antonio also scored his penalty in the 2007 UEFA Cup final against RCD Espanyol. His great performances made big clubs like Arsenal, Manchester United, and Real Madrid interested in him. However, Sevilla turned down all offers, and he stayed with his beloved club.

Antonio Puerta's Passing

On 25 August 2007, Antonio Puerta collapsed during Sevilla's first La Liga match of the 2007–08 season. The game was at their home stadium, Sánchez Pizjuán, against Getafe CF.

He was seen bending down and then falling to the ground after about 35 minutes of the game. His teammates, Ivica Dragutinović and Andrés Palop, quickly ran to help him. Club medical staff and other players also rushed to his side.

After getting some help, Antonio was able to walk to the dressing room. But he collapsed again there. Doctors helped him and he was taken to the hospital.

Antonio Puerta sadly passed away on 28 August 2007. Doctors explained that he had a serious heart condition that caused his passing. At the time, his girlfriend was expecting their first child.

Tributes to Antonio Puerta

Sevilla retired Puerta's number 16 jersey after his death

Because of Antonio's passing, Sevilla's UEFA Champions League game against AEK Athens F.C. was moved to a later date. Sevilla later won that game. The club also announced that there would be a one-minute silence before every league match that weekend.

The UEFA Super Cup game between Sevilla and A.C. Milan went ahead as planned on 31 August. This was done as a tribute to Antonio. All 22 players had 'PUERTA' printed on the back of their jerseys. Players and officials from both teams also wore black armbands.

Sevilla decided to retire Antonio's number 16 shirt. This meant no other player would wear it. However, Spanish football rules do not usually allow clubs to retire numbers. So, David Prieto wore the shirt in 2007–08 to honor his friend. Later, it was decided that only players who came from the club's youth academy could wear that jersey.

In 2016, the number was given to Argentine player Federico Fazio, which caused some discussion. One year later, in 2017, it was given to Jesús Navas. Jesús Navas was a close friend of Antonio Puerta and had returned to play for Sevilla.

Players like Sergio Ramos and Jesús Navas wore T-shirts in memory of Antonio after Spain won major tournaments. In 2010, a statue of Antonio was built at the club's training facilities.

Antonio Puerta's International Career

Antonio Puerta played once for the Spanish national team. This was on 7 October 2006, in a game against Sweden. He came on as a substitute in the 52nd minute of the game. Spain lost that match 0–2.

Antonio also played five times for the Spanish under-21 team.

Career Statistics

Source:

Honours

Sevilla

• Copa del Rey: 2006–07
• Supercopa de España: 2007
• UEFA Cup: 2005–06, 2006–07
• UEFA Super Cup: 2006

Spain U23

• Mediterranean Games: 2005

See also

In Spanish: Antonio Puerta para niños