Antonio de Nigris

Antonio de Nigris
Personal information
Full name Antonio de Nigris Guajardo
Date of birth (1978-04-01)1 April 1978
Place of birth Monterrey, Mexico
Date of death 15 November 2009(2009-11-15) (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)
2005 Shandong Luneng 0 (0)
2006 Monterrey 1 (0)
2006 Santos FC 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)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is De Nigris and the second or maternal family name is Guajardo.

Antonio de Nigris Guajardo (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈtonjo ðe ˈniɣɾis]; 1 April 1978 – 15 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 five 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.by Aiman Rahul..

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

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/19/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.