Chelsea boss Maresca has shared intimate details of the tragedy he experienced while playing for Sevilla and expressed the sympathy he felt for Liverpool players and supporters and the family of Jota, who died in a road accident this summer. Maresca’s team-mate Antonio Puerta collapsed on the pitch and subsequently died following a heart attack after complications from a hereditary condition in 2007. Chelsea face Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.
Jota, the Liverpool forward and Portugal international, tragically died in a car crash alongside his brother in July. The accident occurred in the Spanish province of Zamora as they were traveling to Santander to catch a ferry back to the UK. Jota had recently undergone minor lung surgery and was advised by doctors not to fly. The Spanish Civil Guard reported that the car, a Lamborghini, left the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle and then caught fire, both Jota and Silva died at the scene. Jota was 28 years old at the time, having married his childhood sweetheart and mother of his three children, Rute Cardoso, just 11 days prior.
Puerta’s death at the age of 22 shocked the football world in August 2007. Puerta collapsed on the field during a LaLiga match against Getafe and, after receiving initial treatment and walking off the pitch, he collapsed again in the dressing room and was rushed to hospital. Despite efforts to save him, Puerta died three days later on August 28th and the cause of death was attributed to multiple organ failure and irreversible brain damage resulting from prolonged cardiac arrests caused by an incurable, hereditary heart condition known as arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. His death prompted calls for mandatory cardiac screenings in professional sports worldwide. Puerta was a product of Sevilla’s youth academy and is best-remembered for scoring the winning goal against Schalke 04 in the 2006 UEFA Cup semi-final, paving the way for Sevilla’s first-ever European final.
Speaking ahead of the clash between Chelsea and Liverpool, Maresca said: “I don’t think it’s better to play them now just because they’ve dropped points. It’s always a tough game. The way they’re doing this season is fantastic, especially after the Jota tragedy. I went through exactly the same when I was a player 20 years ago, it’s not easy for the players, it’s not easy for the club or the manager. When you arrive at the training ground and see every day that place empty. You have to be very strong. This is the reason why for me they’re doing better than good because they are trying to deal with a problem that is not easy.”
