
Antonio José Puerta Pérez (26 November 1984 -- 28 August 2007) was a Spanish international football midfielder. He played for Sevilla FC in La Liga. Affected with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, he died on 28 August 2007, three days after suffering a series of cardiac arrests during a league game against Getafe CF on 25 August 2007. Career A natural left-footer, Puerta joined Sevilla as a boy and spent a total of 14 years at the club, growing up at the club's acclaimed youth system alongside other players such as Sergio Ramos, Jesús Navas, Alejandro Alfaro and Kepa Blanco. He played on the left side of midfield, although he did occasionally fill in at left back. His impressive performances earned him international recognition and reported interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Real Madrid. Antonio is remembered by the goal that he scored against FC Schalke 04 in the UEFA Cup 2005/06 semifinals. In the final moments of the match, he received a long ball and struck it with his left foot, scoring one of the most important goals in Sevilla FC history. From then on, the team won five titles in fifteen months, a record in football history, with Puerta scoring the winning penalty in the UEFA Cup Final 2006-07 shoot-out. Puerta was capped once by the Spanish national side, making his debut on October 7, 2006, against Sweden in a qualification match for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship. He was also capped for Spain U-21. Death On 25 August 2007 <b>...</b>
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