Footballer saved with defibrillator on the pitch in Germany: “He was dead” – Corriere.it

Near tragedy in the German fourth division league: midfielder Steffen Kienle’s heart suddenly stopped beating. Only the timely intervention of the doctors saved his life. He was dead. Or rather he was no longer in this world, are the words of Tobias Cramer, coach of VfR Aalen, a club that plays in the Fuball-Regionalliga, the fourth series of the German championship. The story happened in the 67th minute during the match against Hoffenheim II.

The player collapsed suddenly on the lawn, losing consciousness due to illness, after he had crashed into a pole shortly before. The referee, Niclas Zemke, immediately understood the seriousness of the situation and was the first to approach the player, carrying out the maneuver to avoid suffocation: positioned the tongue in such a way that the airways were not obstructed. Alongside the race director there was also a member of the medical staff. His was a providential intervention: he practiced cardio-pulmonary massage, then thanks to a defibrillator managed to save his life.

A scene that recalled what happened to Eriksen on 11 June 2021, during the European Championships, in the match between Denmark and Finland. He was dead. Or to put it another way – explained the coach – he was no longer in this world. The impact against the pole must have caused a cardiac fibrillation and his heart stopped. My boys sat on the grass and cried. Even the youngsters at Hoffenheim were shocked because they had never found themselves in a situation like this. Kienle regained consciousness and was transported to hospital: now still under observation, but the worst is over. They tell me that the values ​​are good and he is very lucid. The doctors will still check but from what I know his heart doesn’t seem to have suffered any injuries. Steffen only has a severe headache and for this reason an MRI was also done on his head, concluded the coach.