Antonio de Nigris Guajardo (; 1 April 1978 – 15 November 2009) was a Mexican professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who played as a
striker.
During his career, which was cut short at 31 by a fatal heart attack, he played in six 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
Club de Fútbol Monterrey, often known simply as Monterrey or their nickname Rayados, is a Mexican professional football club based in Monterrey, Nuevo León which currently plays in Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican football. Founded on 28 ...
. He then played for two seasons in Spain (
first
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
and
second divisions), with little impact at
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. ( ca-valencia, Vila-real Club de Futbol, S.A.D.), usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or simply Villarreal, is a professional football club based in Villarreal, in the Castellón province of eastern Spain, ...
and modest
Polideportivo Ejido, returning to Americas with
Once Caldas
Once Caldas S.A., simply known as Once Caldas, is a professional Colombian football team based in Manizales, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. They play their home games at the Palogrande stadium.
They were the surprise winne ...
, with whom, in the 2004
Intercontinental Cup, he scored in the
penalty shootout
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
defeat against
F.C. Porto.
After another stint in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, de Nigris was signed by
Santos Futebol Clube of
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
on 20 March 2006, making his debut against
Brasiliense Futebol Clube
Brasiliense Futebol Clube, commonly referred to as Brasiliense, is a Brazilian professional club based in Taguatinga, Distrito Federal founded on 1 August 2000. It competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série D, the fourth tier of Brazilian f ...
in a
Brazilian Cup
The Copa do Brasil ( en, Brazil Cup) is a knockout football competition played by 92 teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. It is the Brazilian domestic cup and the Brazilian equivalent of the FA Cup, Taça de ...
match. However, in late 2006, he switched to
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
, playing in quick succession for three teams in the country:
Gaziantepspor
Gaziantepspor was a Turkish football club located in the city of Gaziantep. Formed in 1969 and dissolved in 2020, Gaziantepspor were nicknamed the ''Şahinler'' (The Falcons). The club colours were black and red, and they played their home matche ...
,
Ankaraspor
Ankaraspor Kulübü (), formerly known as Osmanlıspor (), is a Turkish professional football club based in the country's capital Ankara. Founded in 1978, the club competes in the TFF Second League.
History
Ankaraspor was founded as "Ankara Bele ...
and
Ankaragücü. He was released from the latter due to heart problems, and his license was cancelled by the
Turkish Football Federation
The Turkish Football Federation (; TFF) is the governing body of association football in Turkey. It was formed on 23 April 1923, and joined FIFA the same year and UEFA in 1962. It organizes the Turkey national football team, the Turkish Footba ...
.
Death
In 2009–10, de Nigris moved teams again, signing with
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
outfit
AEL 1964
Athlitiki Enosi Larissas ( el, Αθλητική Ένωση Λάρισας,e-ael.gr
''Athletic Union of Larissa''), foun ...
for two years. On 16 November 2009, Jorge Urdiales, president of former club Monterrey, confirmed de Nigris had died, apparently from a heart attack. 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
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, scoring the 2–0 goal in an eventual 3–3 draw.
After a seven-year absence in the national squad, de Nigris was called by national coach
Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez Márquez (born 11 July 1958) is a Mexican former professional footballer and manager, who played as a forward. A prolific goalscorer known for his spectacular strikes and volleys, he is widely regarded as the greatest Mexican ...
for a friendly match against the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, on 6 February 2008. He underperformed in that match and was
substituted, but would also appear against
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
in London; he totalled 17 appearances with four goals until his death, at 31.
Career statistics
International
International goals
, -
, 1. , , 7 March 2001 , ,
Estadio Jalisco
The Jalisco Stadium is a football stadium located in Guadalajara, Mexico. It is the third largest Mexican football stadium behind Estadio Azteca and Estadio Olímpico Universitario. The facility is located in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, 4 ...
,
Guadalajara,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, , , , align=center, 2–0 , , align=center, 3–3 , ,
Friendly
, -
, 2. , , 25 March 2001 , ,
Estadio Azteca
Estadio Azteca () is a multi-purpose stadium located in Mexico City. It is the official home of Association football, football clubs Club América and Cruz Azul as well as the Mexico national football team. The stadium sits at an altitude of a ...
, Mexico City, Mexico , , , , align=center, 1–0 , , align=center, 4–0 , ,
2002 World Cup qualification
, -
, 3. , , 25 March 2001 , , Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico , , , , align=center, 2–0 , , align=center, 4–0 , , 2002 World Cup qualification
, -
, 4.
, , 23 August 2001 , ,
Estadio Luis de la Fuente,
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
, Mexico , , , , align=center, 5–4 , , align=center, 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
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
is an actor and model. He is also of
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
descent and was given the nickname ''Tano'' by his Italian grandfather.
De Nigris, otro golpe en el corazón (De Nigris, another blow to the heart)
References
External links
*
*
Addicion Rayada profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nigris, Antonio de
1978 births
2009 deaths
Footballers from Nuevo León
Mexican people of Italian descent
Association football forwards
Liga MX players
C.F. Monterrey players
Club América footballers
Club Universidad Nacional footballers
La Liga players
Segunda División players
Villarreal CF players
Polideportivo Ejido footballers
Categoría Primera A players
Once Caldas footballers
Santos FC players
Süper Lig players
Gaziantepspor footballers
Ankaraspor footballers
MKE Ankaragücü footballers
Super League Greece players
Athlitiki Enosi Larissa F.C. players
Mexico international footballers
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup players
2001 Copa América players
2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
Mexican expatriate footballers
Mexican footballers
Expatriate footballers in Spain
Expatriate footballers in Colombia
Expatriate footballers in Brazil
Expatriate footballers in Turkey
Expatriate footballers in Greece
Sportspeople from Monterrey