March 26 – A serious clash of heads involving Swiss international Fabian Schar has prompted calls for a UEFA investigation into why the defender was allowed to return to the pitch after being knocked unconscious last weekend in a Euro 2020 qualifier.
Schar was knocked out after colliding with Georgia’s Jemal Tabidze midway through the first half of Switzerland’s 2-0 win and received five minutes of treatment from medical staff before being allowed to play on.
Schar said he had no memory of the collision.
“It looks awful. I can’t remember anything,” he told Swiss newspaper Blick after looking at the video. “I was out for a few seconds. My skull is still buzzing. I’ve got neck ache and a bruise on my forehead but it was worth it.”
Schar has been omitted from today’s game with Denmark despite saying he “really wanted to play” but his case has re-ignited the debate over concussion. The British-based brain charity Headway expressed its “anger and disbelief” over the incident.
Headway chief executive Peter McCabe was quoted as saying: “What is it going to take to make football take concussion seriously? How many more players will have their careers and, more importantly, their lives and long-term health put at risk by the sport’s inability to follow its own protocols?
“Put simply, the decision to allow Fabian Schar to return to the field of play after suffering a clear concussion was not only incredibly dangerous but also a clear dereliction of duty. The player’s comments after the match are also deeply disturbing and again show the lack of awareness and understanding among players.
“UEFA must immediately launch an investigation into the incident and explain why their protocols were not followed.”
UEFA’s protocol is that, in the event of a suspected concussion, the referee stops the game for up to three minutes to allow the injured player to be assessed by the team doctor. The player is then only allowed to continue if the doctor informs the referee he is happy for that to happen.
The day after the Georgia game, the Swiss Football Association’s team doctor Dr Damian Meli was quoted as saying the Newcastle defender “showed no worrying symptoms” the morning after the four-hour flight from Tbilisi back to Switzerland.
When the medical team went on to the pitch to treat Schar, said Meli, he was “awake and oriented.”
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