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On Monday, the Danish newspaper "Politiken" announced that UEFA will require comprehensive tests from clubs participating in European tournaments from 2008 onwards to confirm that players do not suffer from heart diseases.
"Politiken" quotes sources from UEFA, who claim that clubs participating in the Champions League or UEFA Cup must have certificates confirming that players over the age of 21 have no heart problems.
The newspaper stated that the tests should become mandatory from the 2008-2009 season, but they would not be required for international team matches.
UEFA has not commented on this information yet.
In recent years, more and more professional football players have died due to heart problems. One of the most notable recent stories is the death of Cameroon national team defender Marc-Vivien Foé on the football field during the Confederations Cup match.
In 2004, during a Portuguese league match, the heart of 24-year-old Hungarian national team striker Miklós Fehér stopped beating while playing for Lisbon's "Benfica". There was much discussion surrounding the fact that the referee had shown him a yellow card just seconds before.
That same year in October, during a Brazilian league match, "Sao Caetano" defender Serginho collapsed on the field. Medics were unable to save him.
