By Mark Elkington

MADRID (Reuters) - Espanyol captain and defender Dani Jarque, 26, has died from heart failure while on a pre-season tour of Italy, the Primera Liga club said on their website (www.rcdespanyol.com) on Saturday.

Jarque had trained in the morning but collapsed in his hotel in Coverciano while talking to a family member on the telephone in the early evening, Spanish media reports said.

"The Espanyol player died due to a systolic heart failure," the club said in a statement.

"(Club doctor) Doctor Cervera tried CPR on the player and used a defibrillator but said it was not possible to resuscitate.

"Within minutes, the first emergency ambulances arrived from Florence, and tried their defibrillators but again were unable to resuscitate."

Medical services tried to revive Jarque for an hour before pronouncing the player dead, the club said.

"Espanyol are distraught and wish to put themselves at the complete disposal of our captain's family," they added.

Spanish media reported the club were cutting short their Italian tour, where they had been due to play friendlies against Bologna and Livorno in the coming days, and were returning to Barcelona on Sunday.

Jarque came up through the youth ranks at Espanyol, helping them win the King's Cup in 2006 and to reach to UEFA Cup final in 2007, and had just been made captain of the club for the new season.

Jarque's death comes nearly two years after that of Sevilla midfielder Antonio Puerta who died on August 28, 2007, three days after collapsing during a Primera Liga match against Getafe.

(editing by Justin Palmer)