Morocco’s Ayoub El Kabi suffered a horrific injury during a Greek league match against Olympiakos side Volos, and the scene of him falling and screaming on the pitch as he clutched an apparently broken leg reminded dozens of players who have suffered injuries that have ended some of their careers on the pitch.
According to the Morocco World News website, X-rays revealed that the Moroccan striker suffered a fractured leg bone after being taken to hospital for medical tests and is due to undergo surgery today, Sunday.
Al-Kaabi was injured in the 43rd minute of the match between Olympiakos and Volos after colliding with Volos goalkeeper Marius Ciampans as the Moroccan reached the ball before Meka fell to his feet.
Terrible injuries changed the career of football stars
David Post
David Post suffered one of the worst leg fractures in football in 1996 during a game against Manchester United in Coventry as he broke two tibias, a tibia and a fibula in his right leg.
The player underwent several operations, but was unable to return to the game. David told the New York Times: “I was frozen in place. I had a feeling that something wasn’t right. I thought, don’t move and the pain will go away, but the pain won’t go away. I was afraid to move because of the look of horror on Dion Dublin’s face.”
The injury was so severe that he considered having his leg amputated, but it was not, and in an ITV Sport documentary the former player revealed that he underwent 24 operations.
In November 1996, David Post retired from football due to injury.
Eduardo da Silva
Eduardo da Silva suffered a football injury in February 2008 during his team’s match between Arsenal and Birmingham City, where contact with Martin Taylor resulted in a fractured left leg and a dislocated ankle.
According to UEFA, medical staff were shocked when he was taken to hospital by the severity of the injury and the injury kept him off the field until February 2009, when he returned to replace Ivica Olic in the Romania-Croatia match. He then moved to Shakhtar Donetsk in July 2010 and played for the team until his retirement in 2018.
Luke Nellis
Luke Nellis’ injury in 2000 is considered one of the worst in world football. He collided with Ipswich goalkeeper Richard Wright, resulting in a double fracture of his right leg.
Nellis underwent surgery and rehabilitation, and his leg was almost amputated due to an infection in the wounds. According to Sky Sports, being told he would lose part of his leg was the worst moment of his life. He said: “It was the worst moment of my life to be told I might lose part of my leg and it will stay with me forever.”
Henrik Larsson
Henrik Larsson was injured in 1999 while playing for Celtic against Lyon. The player collided with Serge Blanc, as a result of which his leg was broken in half.
He took eight months to recover before returning to the pitch and has since played for other teams including Barcelona, Manchester United and Helsingborg.
Gabriel Cisse
Former France striker Djibril Cisse suffered two serious injuries that affected his football career. The first injury occurred on 30 October 2004, while playing for Liverpool, when he collided with Blackburn’s Jay McAfeely and his foot hit the grass, breaking his left leg. This injury sidelined him for seven months.
In 2006, he broke his second leg during the warm-up before the World Cup, and the second injury was more severe. After recovering, he continued to play for clubs such as Marseille and Panathinaikos, but retired from football in 2016.
A-Inge Haaland
Alf-Inge Haaland, the former Norway international and father of current Manchester City star Erling Haaland, suffered a serious injury after Roy Keane grabbed his right knee.
The incident sparked a bitter rivalry between the players as Roy Keane was immediately sent off and Alfie Haaland revealed in a documentary that Roy Keane sought revenge.
He said: “His intention was deliberate and he was looking for revenge. It’s a bit sad for football and it wasn’t good for me at the time.”
Alef-ing underwent an operation, took part in five matches the following season and retired from football in 2003.
Alan Smith
Alan Smith, a former England international, broke his leg and ankle in 2006 when he blocked John Arne Rees’ free-kick during an FA Cup match against Liverpool.
The player returned to action seven months later and played for Notts County until his retirement in 2018. According to the “GiveMeSport” website, he did not fully recover from the injury and still has difficulty walking.
Neymar
Brazil’s all-time leading scorer Neymar da Silva suffered a fractured vertebrae during the 2014 World Cup after Colombia defender Juan Zuniga kneed him in the back, causing him to fall to the ground.
He was later diagnosed with a broken bone in his back and in an interview on YouTube, the player said that the doctor told him that he would not be able to participate in the World Cup.
Neymar said: “I have two pieces of news: the bad news: you won’t be able to participate in the World Cup. It’s over for you. The good news is that you’ll be able to walk after this, because your football career is over as soon as you move two centimeters to the side.”
Muhammad Ibrahim
Mohamed Ibrahim, a former Zamalek player, suffered a horrific injury in 2016 consisting of a broken fibula and a dislocated ankle during the Whites’ match against Mamelodi Sundowns in the African Champions League.
Mohammed Ibrahim was taken to hospital and underwent surgery the next day to stabilize the fracture using a plate and screws. He missed about 93 days before returning to the stadiums after rehabilitation, but he could not regain that level and left the Red Castle in 2019.
