Following the tragic passing of our promising South African goalkeeper, Senzo Meyiwa, we take a look back at some similar tragedies that occurred on the international scene of the world's game.
Here are five untimely deaths from the footballing world:
Dani Jarque
The Spanish centre back, who played for Espanyol as a graduate from their youth system, was tragically found dead in his hotel room while on preseason tour with the Catalan club in August 2009. He suffered a heart attack and was paid tribute to by players around the world, including a heart-warming moment in the 2010 World Cup, when Andres Iniesta removed his shirt after scoring the winning goal to reveal a t-shirt underneath that read "Dani Jaque Siempre Con Nosotros", which translates to "Dani Jarque always with us". It was a beautiful moment in the game, which proves how great an effect the Spaniard had on the lives of those around him.
Antonio Puerta
Another tragedy coming out of Spanish football was when Sevilla took on Getafe in their first match of the 2007/08 season and their wingback, Antonio Puerta, collapsed in the penalty area due to cardiac arrest. He received a huge number of tributes in a UEFA Champions League qualifier against AEK Athens, as well as in the UEFA Supercup match against AC Milan, in which all players wore his name on the back of their shirts.
Robert Enke
Another goalkeeper, Robert Enke, suffered from severe depression and took his own life in November 2009 at the age of 32. The Hannover shot-stopper had a daughter that perished from a heart condition and was unable to deal with the lifestyle of modern football. He stood in front of an express train and put to an end a promising career, making way in the German national team for Manuel Neuer. The tributes to him were widespread and he is immortalised in Ronald Reng's biography, "A Life too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke", which was published in 2011.
The Busby Boys
Perhaps the most memorable tragedy of them all was when Manchester United's 1958 team, nicknamed "the Busby Boys" died in a plane crash at Munich-Reim airport, along with several journalists and supporters. The team was considered to be very promising and it took United several years to recover from the loss. Several memorials have been created at Old Trafford and the anniversary of the disaster is commemorated every year on the date of the incident (6 February).
Torino air crash
The Superga air disaster, which occurred on 4 May 1949, occurred when an Italian flight carrying the entire Torino football team (also known as Il Grande Torino) crashed into the retaining wall at the back of the Basilica of Superga, which stands on the hill of Turin. There were 31 victims. The team is still considered as the best in Torino's history and is remembered through a memorial at the Basilica of Superga, carrying the names of all its victims.
So, it's tragic to have to think about how very real the effect of the loss of footballers can have. But it's true that, like Senzo, all great footballers will be remembered forever.
Which of these tragedies can you remember?
