On Friday evening, Aston Villa will take to the pitch at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium in Spain to contest the Antonio Puerta Trophy. This friendly match is held in memory of Sevilla academy graduate Antonio Puerta, who tragically passed away in August 2007 at the age of 22 after suffering a cardiac arrest during a La Liga match against Getafe. During his career, the defender made 88 appearances for the club, one for the Spanish national team, and helped secure five trophies, including two UEFA Cups.
The trophy was established a year later and has since become an annual tradition for the club. This year marks the 15th edition of the tournament, with Aston Villa being the first English club invited to participate.
Villa's head coach Unai Emery will return to the ground where he triumphed in the Europa League three times between 2013 and 2016. Previous participants in this trophy have included teams such as Boca Juniors, Roma, Schalke, and more. Ahead of the upcoming fixture, Aston Villa are set to welcome back Leon Goretzka after knee injuries, along with forward Bryan Mbeumo and defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
