Tribute to Antonio Puerta

[sardius]

Thousands of fans pay homage to Sevilla defender Puerta


Written by: AFP

Sevilla football club president Jos? Maria del Nido (R) stands by the coffin of Sevilla defender Antonio Puerta to pay his respects at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville. Thousands of people paid homage overnight to Puerta who died after suffering a heart attack during the club?s opening match of the Spanish league on Saturday.
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/08/27/antonio-puertos-horrifying-collapse/
SEVILLE, Spain (AFP) - Thousands of football fans gathered at Sevilla's stadium Wednesday to pay their last respects to defender Antonio Puerta, who died three days after suffering a heart attack during the club's opening match of the Spanish league on Saturday.

The body of the 22-year-old, who made his national team debut last season, was moved to the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium from the hospital where he died on Tuesday as supporters chanted: "Puerta, friend, Seville is with you".

Puerta was then cremated at a cemetery in Seville in southwestern Spain at 2pm (1200 GMT), reporters said at the scene.

Fans from both Sevilla and its cross-town rivals Real Betis left football scarves, candles and dozens of flower arrangements at the stadium while long lines formed to file past the player's coffin, which was draped in Sevilla's centenary flag.

At the coffin's side were the recent trophies which Puerta helped the club win, including last season's UEFA Cup.

Also mourning in Seville were Real Madrid chairman Ramon Calderon, who headed the club's delegation to Wednesday's ceremony alongside sporting director Pedja Mijatovic and top stars Raul and Guti.

Others present from the league champions were former Seville stars Sergio Ramos, Javier Saviola and Brazilian Julio Baptista.

The Sevilla squad went directly to the stadium after rushing back from Athens where they had been set to play a Champions League return leg against AEK Athens on Tuesday night.

UEFA postponed the encounter.

Accompanied by Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido and the club's coach Juande Ramos, the squad was greeted with applause on their arrival by some 20,000 supporters with cries of "Sevilla! Sevilla! Sevilla!".

The player's family, including his girlfirend Mar, who is seven months pregnant, held a silent vigil by the coffin.

The Champions League match has now been scheduled for Monday although the UEFA Cup champions' Super Cup match against Champions League winners AC Milan, scheduled for Friday, has been maintained.

Spain's sports newspapers also paid homage to Puerta.

"Antonio Puerta, the injustice of dying at the age of 22. Why?" wrote sports daily Marca in its headline while daily newspaper La Razon said: "The heart of football has stopped."

In an editorial, top-selling daily newspaper El Pais said Puerta's death had touched the public and "raised questions about the demands of professional sports."

Sevilla has scheduled four "high level" matches in just nine days, it said.

Puerta, who reportedly sparked interest from English Premiership sides Arsenal and Manchester United earlier this year, collapsed after half an hour of Sevilla's 4-1 win over Getafe.


He was able to walk to the dressing rooms where he collapsed a second time before being taken to hospital where he remained hooked up to a life support machine until he died.

Clubs continued to express their bewilderment, meanwhile, at what had happened.

Angel Torres, chairman of last weekend's rivals Getafe, said Puerta's death "is a blow for football and for sport," adding the pain of the affair was made all the harder as his own club was playing Sevilla when the player collapsed.

Torres spoke of the "immense grief" felt by Spain's sporting community and offered condolences to Puerta's family.
[IMG]http://mexico.theoffside.com/files/2007/08/puerta3_562382.jpg
Spanish media quoted Liverpool's Spanish star Fernando Torres as saying on his website that: "Puerta's death leaves a vacuum which is impossible to fill. May he rest in peace."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv6Ixigbnqs&NR=1

We will allways remember you Antonio...
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/788174/antonio_puerta/?logout=1

:sadwave:

 

[sardius]

Puerta legacy lingers in Monaco

Antonio Puerta was the only player on people's minds as Juande Ramos and Carlo Ancelotti spoke ahead of the 2007 UEFA Super Cup in Monaco.

Emotional tributes
The 22-year-old Sevilla FC midfielder's death on Tuesday has touched the entire football family, not just in Spain but across the world. Emotional tributes have come from every quarter and all have paid their respects to a homegrown talent who fully embodied his club's spirit in recent years, skill and passion in equal measure as they battled their way to the top table of European football.

Legacy
That Sevilla are represented at Friday night's high-profile curtain-raiser to the continental club season against the might of AC Milan owes much to Puerta and it is certain his legacy will linger. Two UEFA Cups, the chance to reclaim the UEFA Super Cup and the potential of a first crack at the UEFA Champions League, Sevilla will never forget what their gifted left-footer gave them on their inexorable rise.

'In our hearts'
In acknowledging that he and his players were in a "trance-like" state, Sevilla coach Ramos said: "Well, we don't want to forget him and we are not going to. Antonio Puerta will be with us throughout the season. He is not here physically but of course he will be present in our hearts and present in everything we do and we have to live with his memory."

Monday date
Sevilla have yet to play since Puerta's death, their UEFA Champions League qualifier at AEK Athens FC having been rearranged from Tuesday to next Monday. The coach, who has last year's UEFA Super Cup star man Daniel Alves available, said he would make a judgement based as much on "mental attitude" as physical fitness. "There is no need to motivate the team through words because they are going to play to the maximum to pay tribute to their friend."

'Very sad'
Sevilla's approach was endorsed by Milan, with the European champions' coach summing up the pervading mood. "The aim was to come here, have a great party and play a wonderful match in a great atmosphere but that is not the case now," Ancelotti said. "The match has to be played and we'll do so in a serious way and in the appropriate manner while respecting the grief of the football family and in particular the Puerta family as we're obviously all very sad."

High praise
The Italian emphasised that he expected Sevilla to show their togetherness at the Stade Louis II. "Sevilla's style is a secret to no one," he said. "They play as a team and are very compact and it's not by chance that they've won all the finals they've played in. They're strongly motivated and have a dynamic, aggressive style. They're one of the best teams in Europe."

'Tremendous opponent'
Ramos was equally respectful of the Rossoneri. "Milan have everything," he said simply, although they will be without Paolo Maldini as the veteran defender is yet to recover from a knee injury. The coach added: "We have a tremendous opponent to contend with and what I hope is that we will play at our usual level, with joy and ambition." Joy and ambition. Two words that would be more than appropriate for the playing style of Sevilla's absent No16.

 

[ChuckyTheGoat]

RIP, man.

 

[sardius]

UEFA Supercup




AC Milan- FC Sevilla 3-1




SEVILLA +200 LOST



Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido has said that the club will beat Milan in the European Super Cup on Friday and dedicate the victory to Antonio Puerta, who he said will always be with them.



Del Nido admitted that it would have been easy to postpone the match, but felt that playing the game in honour of the player was the right thing to do.


Puerta died on Tuesday and, following his funeral the following day, Del Nido explained the decision to travel to Monaco to play the game.


"From now on, we will be playing with 12," he said.


"With the memory of Antonio Puerta, we start playing again with the desire to win the Super Cup and we will dedicate it to him.


"We are going to beat Milan and dedicate the victory to Puerta. Everyone is feeling low, but Antonio has left us and life has to continue.


"Sevilla have become invincible, because we will play with the spirit of Puerta."


Del Nido extended his thanks to Milan and Uefa for offering Sevilla the chance to call off the match, and was particularly grateful to local rivals Real Betis, who joined Sevilla in mourning the defender's passing.


"Milan and Uefa made it easy for us to postpone the game, but we feel the best thing would be to play.


"Sevilla want to thank the world of sport, the fans and all the public for their support, especially Real Betis."

Paolo Maldini, Ronaldo and Serginho are out for Milan due to the injuries.


GOOD LUCK!!!