Shocking moment for Barnabas Varga
After a serious collision, Barnabas Varga requires emergency treatment and suffers several face fractures. The case illustrates the importance of first aid and the coordination of medical staff.
Many Hungarians probably felt like Kevin Csoboth on Sunday evening. The Ujpest Budapest attacker held up the shirt of his team-mate Barnabas Varga after his last-minute winning goal against Scotland. Varga had previously had to receive emergency treatment on the pitch. The gesture left no one in the stadium untouched, neither the two fan camps - nor Csoboth himself: He was soon kneeling on the pitch, overwhelmed and unable to hold back his tears. His teammates and coach Marco Rossi were also struggling with their emotions. Together they tried to sort out their emotions. They gathered for a photo in which the focus was not on the 1:0 and the hope of advancing to the round of 16, but solely on Varga's health.
In the 68th minute of the game, Varga, who is employed by Hungarian champions Ferencvaros Budapest, collided with Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn following a free-kick. He had already wedged himself so awkwardly with Scotland's Grant Hanley that his body twisted in the air as he dived for the header. Varga flew head first over Hanley's back, his head hit Gunn's upper left arm with force, he cramped up, and after the impact he lay motionless and could hardly breathe. The players raised the alarm and called the paramedics. Varga was treated behind stretched blankets for several minutes before being transported to hospital on a stretcher.
The shocking scenes were reminiscent of Eriksen's cardiac arrest
The shocking scenes were reminiscent of Christian Eriksen's cardiac arrest at the 2021 European Championship. The Dane collapsed during a preliminary round match and had to be resuscitated. For a long time, it was not clear whether Eriksen would survive. This time, at least, the all-clear was given quickly. Barnabas Varga was conscious, coach Rossi confirmed after the final whistle. Hungary's federation later clarified that Varga had suffered a concussion and several facial fractures and would require surgery. The 29-year-old remained in hospital in Stuttgart, underwent surgery on Monday and will of course be out for the rest of the European Championship - provided Hungary reach the round of 16 as one of the four best third-placed teams in the group.
Hardly anyone commented on the vague sporting prospects after the match. Hungary's captain Dominik Szoboszlai was still shocked, he was one of the first to grasp the magnitude of the situation. When the emergency services did not bring the stretcher quickly enough in his view, he ran towards them and supported them. He later criticized that the procedures needed to be "much faster". Many Hungarian fans were also restless and nervous because the situation was unfolding right in front of them. Uefa rejected accusations in a statement that the "coordination between all medical staff on site" was professional and "in accordance with the applicable medical procedures": "There were no delays in the treatment and care of the player."
The urgency of an injury cannot be judged from a distance
On Sunday, it seemed as if the medical staff on the sidelines were initially unsure whether they were allowed to enter the pitch. However, it is almost impossible to assess the urgency of treatment from a distance - especially as players sometimes exaggerate an injury in order to drag out the match and take momentum away from the opponent. Even coaches sometimes encourage team doctors to wait until the situation can be better assessed. The protocol stipulates that a player must leave the pitch after treatment and may only return on the referee's signal. This can result in a team being outnumbered for important seconds during a crucial phase.
This made it all the more important for the surrounding players to act quickly and provide first aid until the doctors and paramedics arrived from outside and took over. The Hungarians demonstrated this impressively: They immediately placed Barnabas Varga in a stable lateral position so that his airways remained clear and he could not suffocate. The match continued after the incident - the players must have already suspected that their team-mate was out of danger.
Varga was a late starter, only making his national team debut at the age of 28
The European Championships were Varga's first ever participation in a tournament. He is considered a late starter in Hungary. He spent the early part of his career with lower-class Austrian clubs before returning to his home country in 2020. Barnabas Varga's breakthrough came in the 2022/23 season at FC Paks, when he immediately became Hungary's top scorer. This sparked the interest of Ferencvaros, where he successfully defended his status as the top scorer last season. His goalscoring exploits earned him a debut for the national team in March 2023. He scored the opening goal against Switzerland in the European Championship opener.
The agitation of the players surrounding the accident carried over into the final phase of the game. Both Hungary and Scotland had to win to keep a small chance of progressing to the next round. The Hungarians acted more cleverly, maintaining their defensive structure and relying on counter-attacks. The decisive goal in the tenth minute of stoppage time came from a Scottish corner kick. After the game, the Hungarians lingered in the stadium with their fans for a long time to reflect on what had happened. Their joy stemmed above all from the huge relief that the incident involving Barnabas Varga had ended relatively lightly. The players had particularly wanted to win for him - so that they could later present him with the winning photo with his shirt.