Hamburg - Spanish footballer Antonio Puerta, who died following a heart attack while playing for Sevilla against Getafe on Saturday, is the latest in a series of fatalities in football. Over the past 10 years the following fatalities have occurred during matches or in training:
August 1997: The Nigerian Emmanuel Nwanegbo of German third-division side SSV Reutlingen collapses after a heart attack during the match against SC Weismain and dies shortly afterwards.
July 1999: Stefan Vrabioru, 23, of the Romanian first division side Astra Ploiesti suffers a cardiac arrest after colliding with an opponent.
February 2000: Nigerian John Ikoromo, 17, dies of a heart attack during a friendly match in the United Arab Emirates.
August 2000: Three amateur players collapse and die within a week in the German state of Hesse, two while playing and a third, aged 16, while training.
October 2000: Romanian international Catalin Haldan, 24, of Dinamo Bucharest suffers a stroke and dies during a friendly match.
April 2001: English referee Mike North suffers a fatal heart attack shortly before half-time during a third division game.
June 2002: Michael Michel, 32, playing in the Cypriot second division, collapses and dies of a heart attack.
December 2002: Macedonian Stefan Toleski collapses during a league game playing for FK Napredok and dies as a result of heart failure.
June 2003: Cameroon international Marc-Vivien Foe collapses during a Confederations Cup match in Lyon against Colombia and dies of heart failure a short time afterwards.
January 2004: Hungarian international Miklos Feher collapses and dies during a Portuguese league match between Vitoria Guimaraes and Benfica.
December 2005: French player David di Tommaso dies of heart failure caused by cardiac disrhythmia after a match for his club Utrecht.
