During the match between Fluminense and Argentinos Juniors, the Argentinian Luciano Sanchez defender attempted to steal the ball from Marcelo. In order to protect it, Marcelo stepped on the opponent, resulting in Sanchez writhing in pain. The match was paused until the medical staff arrived, and Marcelo was given a red card.
Luciano suffered an almost complete separation of the femur and fibula and severe damage to the entire knee, including a rupture of the cruciate, anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments. The Argentine club’s doctor, Alejandro Ronconi, was devastated. “In 23 years as a doctor, I have never seen an injury like this. It requires surgery, and the recovery period is estimated at 10 to 12 months,” he said.
“Today I had to live a very difficult moment on the field. I have inadvertently injured a fellow player,” said Marcelo in an apology on his Instagram account to Sanchez and his over 64.5 million followers.
Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz defended his player’s, saying his sending off was “absurd, crazy — what could he do?”
The incident stirred controversy among fans and experts alike. Marcelo maintains that he did not mean for this to happen, and the incident has been put under investigation. In any case, the prognosis is grim for Luciano Sanchez. After the surgery, he is expected to be sidelined for an estimated six months and possibly longer, hampering his career from progressing further.
The incident raises concerns around players’ safety during a time of worldwide football revivals. It is unclear what the full extent of Sanchez’s injury will be.