Sevilla FC midfielder Antonio Puerta died in hospital today.

The 22-year-old was struck by heart attack in the 35th minute of Sevilla’s match against Getafe CF on Saturday in the Primera División and collapsed near the goal.

His team-mate Ivica Dragutinović and club medical staff rushed to his side to prevent him from swallowing his tongue. Puerta was resuscitated and after regaining his consciousness he was escorted out of the field and into Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán locker room.

But there he suffered a second hart attack and after another cardiac resurrection he was brought immediately to the Virgen del Rocío hospital were the doctors put him under intensive care.

According to doctor Francisco Murillo, Puerta had suffered multiple organ failure and irreversible brain damage as a result of prolonged cardiac arrests caused by an hereditary heart disease known as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Puerta death from cardiac disease is comparable to those of Marc-Vivien Foe and Miklos Feher. No official statement whether the Spanish midfielder had ever been equipped with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator was issued.

He left behind a mourning wife, who is in the eight month of pregnancy with their first child.
La Liga issued its condolences to Puerta's family and Sevilla's supporters in a statement. "The LFP has asked all their fans to respect a one-minute silence before each game of the second round of the Primera Liga," it read.

Sevilla's city rivals Real Betis also issued a statement, in which the Betis owner Manuel Ruiz de Lopera said: "This is a blow to the whole of Seville. Our thoughts are with Sevilla, with the player's family and with the player, who I am sure will be in heaven."

UEFA postponed for Monday Sevilla's Champions League qualifying second leg against AEK Athens scheduled for tonight so the Spanish squad is flying back from fire and earth quick troubled Greece.