A 21-year-old footballer was hospitalised after an opponent kicked him in the HEAD while he lay on the pitch following a challenge.
Shocking footage from Sunday’s (8 November) match shows Maximiliano González and an opponent both going for the ball.
Maximiliano goes down during the challenge, groaning and clutching his leg as he hits the ground.
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After being sent off by the referee, the opposing player turns back, takes a run-up and boots Maximiliano in the head.
As onlookers groan in shock, the attacker runs across the pitch with rival players chasing after him.
The referee repeatedly blows his whistle as chaos erupts at the ground in Trelew, Argentina.
Maximiliano’s father, Mario, was at the local tournament match between Social Barrio Inta and Deportivo Merlo.
He told local media: “He saw him lying on the ground and went over and kicked him in the head. It was horrific.”
The ensuing brawl saw players shoving and punching one another, with police spending around 15 minutes bringing the situation under control.
“They began throwing stones at police officers,” police substation chief Brian Alarcón told local media.
As the violence unfolded, Mario drove his son, who plays for Deportivo Merlo, to a local hospital, as reported by Need To Know.
Doctors examined Maximiliano before sending him home with instructions to return if he developed any further symptoms.
His family took him back at around 1:30 am after he began feeling unwell, suffering a nosebleed and fluid leaking from his ears.
Doctors carried out a CT scan and kept him under observation until around 6 am, when he was discharged.
The scan reportedly found no serious injuries, although the area around the back of his neck later began to swell.
“That kick has left him badly traumatised. He can’t even look at his phone. We still don’t know what the long-term effects might be,” said Mario.
The family is now planning to approach the Mar y Valle Independent League and may also file a police complaint.
“He could easily have killed him,” Mario said. “This was practically attempted murder.”
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