Horrific scenes

Emergency doctor intervention! Great concern for Hungary player

Barnabás Varga is taken away ...

(Bild: AFP)

Terrible scenes in the European Championship duel between Scotland and Hungary: after a confusing scene in the Bravehearts' penalty area, three players suddenly found themselves lying on the pitch, with Hungary striker Barnabás Varga suffering a particularly bad blow! Paramedics and emergency doctors had to be called immediately ...

It was initially impossible to say exactly what had happened - partly because of UEFA and the TV control room, which, as usual, did not show replays in explosive situations like this.

Motionless on the ground
What is clear is that the former Mattersburg striker stormed into the penalty area after a corner kick from his captain Dominik Szoboszlai - and was lying motionless on the ground shortly afterwards. He had collided badly with the Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn in the scramble for the ball.

(Bild: AP)

While Gunn and his teammate Anthony Ralston, who were also initially dazed, were soon back on their feet, Varga remained lying on the ground. Teammates and opponents immediately rushed to the injured player - and everyone quickly pointed out that it was an emergency.

(Bild: AP/Associated Press)

Protected from prying eyes by stewards with blankets
Varga was then treated for several minutes on the pitch of the stadium, which had suddenly gone quiet as a mouse, protected from prying eyes by stewards with blankets. After what felt like half an eternity, he was finally taken away to the applause of the tens of thousands of fans.

Several broken bones in his face
Varga was conscious and, according to the Hungarian Football Association, was taken to a hospital in Stuttgart, where he communicated with the staff. The force of the collision left Varga with a severe concussion and several broken bones in his face, the association said later that evening. The ex-Mattersburg player would probably have to undergo surgery.

"That gave us that certain something!"
After their victory, the Hungarian team held Vargas' jersey with the number 19 demonstratively in front of the cameras, laughing and cheering. "It gave us that certain something," said midfielder Callum Styles. "Of course we never want to see something like that on a soccer pitch, but luckily he's conscious now."

(Bild: AFP)

Szoboszlai: "We have to do it much quicker!"
"It's better if I don't talk about it. I was one of the first people there. And I was shocked myself. I tried to lay him on his side, which is actually the best thing to do in a situation like this. He couldn't breathe properly," said ex-Salzburg player Dominik Szoboszlai in an interview after the game. The Hungarian also criticized the fact that, in his opinion, it had taken too long for the assistants to be allowed onto the pitch. "I have no idea what the protocol is, whether people are not allowed onto the pitch when we need help. (...) We need to change something about that. We need to do it much faster," he said.