Moroccan Youssouf El-Kaabi suffered a horrific injury during his team Olympiacos' match against Volos in the Greek league. The scene of him falling to the ground and screaming while holding his leg, where the fracture was visible, brought to mind dozens of players who have suffered injuries that ended some of their careers on the pitch.
According to "Morocco World News," X-rays revealed that the Moroccan striker suffered a fracture in his shinbone after being transported to the hospital for medical examinations. He is scheduled to undergo surgery today, Sunday.
El-Kaabi sustained the injury in the 43rd minute of the Olympiacos vs. Volos match after colliding with Volos goalkeeper, Marius Siambanis. The Moroccan reached the ball before the goalkeeper fell on his leg.
Horrific injuries that changed the careers of football stars
David Bostock
David Bostock suffered one of the worst leg fractures in football history in 1996 while playing for Coventry against Manchester United. He suffered a double fracture to the tibia and fibula in his right leg.
The player underwent several surgeries but was unable to return to play. David told the "New York Times": "I was frozen in place. I felt that something was not right. I thought: don't move, and the pain will go away, but the pain did not go away. I was afraid to move because a look of horror was clearly visible on Dion Dublin's face."
The injury was so severe that he considered having his leg amputated, but that did not happen. In a documentary on ITV Sport, the former player stated that he underwent 24 surgeries.
The injury caused David Bostock to retire from football in November 1996.
Eduardo da Silva
Eduardo da Silva suffered one of football's most horrific injuries in February 2008 during his team Arsenal's match against Birmingham City. His contact with Martin Taylor resulted in a fracture to his left leg and a dislocated ankle.
According to UEFA, the medical staff were shocked by the severity of the injury when he was transported to the hospital. The injury kept him away from the pitch until February 2009, when he returned to replace Ivica Olić in a match between Romania and Croatia. He then moved to Shakhtar Donetsk in July 2010 and played for the team until his retirement in 2018.
Luke Niles
Luke Niles' injury in 2000 is considered one of the worst in the world of football. He collided with Ipswich goalkeeper Richard Wright, resulting in a double fracture to his right leg.
Niles underwent surgery and rehabilitation, and his leg nearly had to be amputated due to wound infection. According to "Sky Sports," being told that he would lose part of his leg was the worst moment of his life. He said: "The worst moment of my life was being told that I might have to lose part of my leg, and this will stay with me forever."
Henrik Larsson
Henrik Larsson suffered an injury in 1999 while playing for Celtic against Lyon. The player collided with Serge Blanc, which resulted in his leg being broken in two.
His recovery took eight months, after which he returned to the pitch. Since then, he has played for other teams, including Barcelona, Manchester United, and Helsingborg.
Gabriel Cissé
Former French national team striker Gabriel Cissé suffered two serious injuries that affected his football career. The first injury occurred on October 30, 2004, while playing for Liverpool, when he collided with Blackburn player Jay McEveley, and his foot got stuck in the grass, resulting in a fracture to his left leg. This injury kept him away from the pitch for seven months.
In 2006, he suffered a fracture to his other leg during the warm-up before the World Cup. The second injury was more severe. After recovering, he continued to play for clubs such as Marseille and Panathinaikos, but in 2016, he retired from football.
Alf-Inge Håland
Alf-Inge Håland, former Norwegian national team player and father of current Manchester City star Erling Haaland, suffered a severe injury after Roy Keane fouled his right knee.
The incident caused a heated confrontation between the players, and Roy Keane was immediately sent off. Alf-Inge Håland revealed in a documentary that Roy Keane was seeking revenge.
He said: "His intention was deliberate, and he was seeking revenge... This is somewhat sad for football, and it was not good for me either at the time."
Alf-Inge underwent surgery and played in five matches the following season. The player retired from football in 2003.
Alan Smith
Alan Smith, former English footballer, suffered a leg fracture and ankle dislocation in 2006 when he blocked a free kick from John Arne Riise during an FA Cup match against Liverpool.
The player returned to the pitch after seven months and played for Notts County until his retirement in 2018. According to "GiveMeSport," he has not fully recovered from the injury and still suffers from difficulty walking to this day.
Neymar
Neymar da Silva, the all-time top scorer for the Brazilian national team, suffered a fracture in one of his vertebrae during the 2014 World Cup after being hit in the back by Colombian defender Juan Zúñiga's knee, causing him to fall to the ground.
His injury was later diagnosed as a fracture in one of his back bones. In a YouTube interview, the player said that the doctor told him he would not be able to participate in the World Cup.
Neymar said: "I have two pieces of news... The bad news: you will not be able to participate in the World Cup. It's over for you. The good news is that you will be able to walk afterwards, because your football career ended the moment you slipped two centimeters to the side."
Mohamed Ibrahim
Mohamed Ibrahim, former Zamalek player, suffered a horrific injury in 2016, consisting of a fibula fracture and ankle dislocation, during the White Knights' match against Mamelodi Sundowns in the African Champions League.
Mohamed Ibrahim was transported to the hospital and underwent surgery the next day to fix the fracture using a plate and screws. He was absent for about 93 days before returning to the pitch after rehabilitation, but he did not regain his previous level and left the Red Fortress in 2019.
