THE world players’ union fear a footballer could DIE on the pitch unless head injuries are taken more seriously.
FifPro are angry Newcastle’s Fabian Schar played on for Switzerland against Georgia last Saturday after he was knocked unconscious.
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They have backed SunSport columnist Alan Shearer’s call for independent doctors to start ruling on suspected concussions.
And they have warned of “catastrophic” consequences unless football authorities implement radical change.
A FifPro spokesman said: “We’re deeply concerned to see players remain on the pitch after suffering concussion. It’s incredibly dangerous.
“Second-impact syndrome is very real. If a player sustains another major blow, while still recovering from the first concussive episode,
it could result in serious brain damage or even death. Not all symptoms are immediately visible, so we need to tackle the uncertainty by removing players or the consequences could be catastrophic.”
Shearer, who filmed a BBC documentary exploring the link between football head injuries and dementia, said it was “ridiculous” Schar carried on after being KO’d in a clash of heads with Georgia’s Jemal Tabidze.
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Newcastle and England legend Shearer demanded the introduction of independent doctors to decide whether a player is OK to carry on, instead of medical staff from their own team.
FifPro, who represent more than 60,000 pros, agree with Shearer’s plan and also want temporary subs brought in so players can be removed for ten minutes to be properly assessed. But they are frustrated football lawmakers Ifab have so far failed to act.
The FifPro spokesman added: “Alan Shearer is right. Independent doctors are necessary, alongside team physicians, coupled with a rule change to allow temporary substitutes.
“Medics need ten minutes or more to implement world-leading standards in concussion management.
“There is significant pressure in the heat of the moment to keep a match going — but that cannot be at the expense of a player’s health.
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“Rather than stop the match for lengthy periods, we believe it’s vital to defuse the situation by giving medics and managers the ability to bring on temporary replacements. Football authorities have a duty to ensure players receive maximum protection.”
Ifab are understood to be dragging their feet on the rule changes while they wait for various medical studies to be completed.
But Fifa have also poo-pooed the idea of ‘concussion bins’, with their medical chief suggesting managers would exploit it for tactical reasons.
Speaking last summer, Dr Michel D’Hooghe said: “I am not in favour of temporary substitutions.
“I hope you don’t believe that this would be used rightly every time.”
The Schar shambles comes in the same month two other high-profile cases also highlighted the flaws in football’s current concussion protocol.
Lyon keeper Anthony Lopes lost consciousness in a clash with Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho but played on for another 11 minutes before going off.
And Napoli’s on-loan Arsenal stopper David Ospina stayed on the pitch after clattering into Udinese’s Ignacio Pussetto — only to be taken off when he collapsed half-an-hour later.
