From Antonio Puerta to José Antonio Reyes: the tragedy flogged Seville again

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The death of José Antonio Reyes, during the morning of this Saturday, June 1, 2019 in a traffic accident, has left Spanish football shocked. But especially to the city of Seville, land that saw him born and grow as a footballer. A scabrous event that makes reappear ghosts of the past in the Andalusian capital. Specifically those of Antonio Puerta.

The own Monchi, sport director of the Seville, pronounced in his social networks to show his pain by the loss of which outside soccer player of Real Madrid, Arsenal or Athletic of Madrid. "Go left band you're going to do Antonio and you -Reyes-, up there," he said in an emotional message.

The pain of sevillismo seems not to stop. And it is that the Seville team already lost an emblem of its institution as Puerta, who died on August 28, 2007, just three days after vanishing on the field during a Sevilla-Getafe that opened the league season.

Puerta changed the recent history of Sevilla

The iconic '16' Sevillista went from being much loved by its fans to stand as the main emblem of the institution. His boots revolutionized the modern history of Sevilla during an extension of a UEFA Cup semi-final. Antonio proclaimed himself a hero of the game by converting a pass from Jesús Navas into a goal. A goal that earned Sevilla to sneak into his first final of the modern era.

With his left foot of gold and diamonds, in the extension of a UEFA Cup semi-final after receiving a pass from Jesus Navas, scored the goal that put Sevilla in his first final of the modern era, the first after 60 years . His loss left the entire city desolate, just as now Reyes has done.

Reyes revolutionized Spanish football in England

José Antonio was much more than a footballer for Sevilla. When he made his debut in the First Division with the first team from Seville (1999/2000), he became the youngest player to do so as a neronense during a game against Zaragoza (2-1). With only 16 years behind him. A vertiginous projection. Noticing from a very young age Something that earned him to quickly achieve notoriety in world football: first at Arsenal, when he signed for the Gunners in 2004; then in teams like Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid.

The Utrera has been a great jewel of the Nervión quarry. Of the few players who have achieved so much notoriety in international football. In fact, the landing of Kings in the Premier League was a milestone in Spanish football: a Sevillista squad that landed in English football for 24 million euros.

Whimsical fate of glory and pain for Antonio and José. For Door and Kings. Curiously, both are part of a golden age in Seville, which never stopped emanating national talent. A time in which the national coaches had very difficult to choose players from Nerja for their calls. The level was very high.

On October 3, 2006 there is an anecdote that unifies both players even more. Luis Aragonés had to summon a player to replace Reyes in the National Team, since the Utrera had suffered a muscular injury.

Coincidences of destiny, Antonio Puerta was chosen by Aragones to replace Reyes in the call for the momentous game that Spain played against Sweden that Saturday. A very young Puerta (21 years old) left the concentration of the sub-21 in Aranjuez and enrolled for the first time in the absolute.

A story of pain and tragedy in the key of Seville. Only 12 years between one incident and another. Two legends that will go down in the history of football, as symbols that started the recent historical journey of Sevilla in Europe.