Antonio de Nigris
| Personal information | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Antonio de Nigris Guajardo | ||||||||
| Date of birth | 1 April 1978 | ||||||||
| Place of birth | Monterrey, Mexico | ||||||||
| Date of death | 16 November 2009 (aged 31) | ||||||||
| Place of death | Larissa, Greece | ||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||
| Playing position | Striker | ||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||
| 1995–1999 | Monterrey | ||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||
| 1999–2002 | Monterrey | 65 | (37) | ||||||
| 2002 | América | 3 | (0) | ||||||
| 2003 | Villarreal | 15 | (2) | ||||||
| 2003–2004 | Poli Ejido | 31 | (2) | ||||||
| 2004 | Once Caldas | 19 | (1) | ||||||
| 2004–2005 | Puebla | 13 | (1) | ||||||
| 2005 | UNAM | 15 | (2) | ||||||
| 2006 | Monterrey | 1 | (0) | ||||||
| 2006 | Santos | 2 | (1) | ||||||
| 2006–2007 | Gaziantepspor | 39 | (15) | ||||||
| 2008 | Ankaraspor | 25 | (7) | ||||||
| 2009 | Ankaragücü | 14 | (2) | ||||||
| 2009 | AEL 1964 | 7 | (0) | ||||||
| Total | 248 | (70) | |||||||
| National team | |||||||||
| 2001–2008 | Mexico | 16 | (4) | ||||||
Honours
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| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||||||||
Antonio de Nigris Guajardo (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈtonjo ðe ˈniɣɾis]; 1 April 1978 – 16 November 2009) was a Mexican footballer who played as a striker.
During his career, which was cut short at 31 by a fatal heart attack,[1] he played in six different countries, also representing twelve clubs in nine years.
Club career
Born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, de Nigris became interested in sports at a young age, and began his football career with C.F. Monterrey. He then played for two seasons in Spain (first and second divisions), with little impact at Villarreal CF and modest Polideportivo Ejido, returning to Americas with Once Caldas, with whom, in the 2004 Intercontinental Cup, he scored in the penalty shootout defeat against F.C. Porto.
After another stint in Mexico, de Nigris was signed by Santos Futebol Clube of Brazil on 20 March 2006, making his debut against Brasiliense Futebol Clube in a Brazilian Cup match. However, in late 2006, he switched to Turkey, playing in quick succession for three teams in the country: Gaziantepspor, Ankaraspor and Ankaragücü. He was released from the latter due to heart problems, and his license was cancelled by the Turkish Football Federation.
Death
In 2009–10, de Nigris moved teams again, signing with Greek outfit AEL 1964 for two years. On 16 November 2009, Jorge Urdiales, president of former club Monterrey, confirmed de Nigris had died, apparently from a heart attack.[2] De Nigris died just six days after German fellow footballer, goalkeeper Robert Enke.
International career
A Mexican international since 2001, de Nigris represented his nation at that year's Copa América. His debut came on 7 March in a friendly against Brazil, scoring the 2–0 in an eventual 3–3 draw.
After a seven-year absence in the national squad, de Nigris was called by national coach Hugo Sánchez for a friendly match against the United States, on 6 February 2008. He underperformed in that match and was substituted, but would also appear against Ghana in London; he totalled 16 appearances with four goals until his death, at 31.[3]
International goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 7 March 2001 | Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico |  Brazil | 2–0 | 3–3 | Friendly | |
| 2. | 25 March 2001 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |  Jamaica | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 3. | 25 March 2001 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico | Jamaica | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 4. | 23 August 2001 | Estadio Luis de la Fuente, Veracruz, Mexico |  Liberia | 5–4 | 5–4 | Friendly |
Personal life
De Nigris' younger brother Aldo is also a footballer (also a striker, he too represented Monterrey and the national team), while older sibling Alfonso is an actor and model. He was given the nickname Tano by his Italian grandfather.[4] He was survived by his wife and a five-year-old daughter, named Miranda.
References
- ↑ Larissa in mourning for de Nigris Archived 3 February 2011 at WebCite
- ↑ El futbolista mexicano Antonio de Nigris falleció de un infarto (Mexican footballer Antonio de Nigris died from a heart attack) (Spanish) Archived 3 February 2011 at WebCite
- ↑ Mexikos Nationalstürmer de Nigris gestorben (Mexican international striker de Nigris dead) (German)
- ↑ De Nigris, otro golpe en el corazón (De Nigris, another blow to the heart) (Spanish) Archived 3 February 2011 at WebCite
External links
- BDFutbol profile
- Antonio de Nigris at National-Football-Teams.com
- Addicion Rayada profile (Spanish)
- Photos at Addicion Rayada (Spanish)
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