Foreign footballOn August 21, the football world was shocked. Fabrice N’Sakala (31), in an Anderlecht shirt between 2013 and 2017, suddenly collapsed in the Turkish league. More than two months later, the fullback still doesn’t know what happened to him. “Maybe we’re neglecting our health? We don’t all have the body of Ronaldo,” he says at The last hour.
On August 21, 2021, everyone thought about what happened to Christian Eriksen at the European Championship. Fabrice N’Sakala suddenly collapsed after 70 minutes in the match between Gaziantep and Besiktas. The doctors rushed onto the field and administered first aid. Afterwards, the French Congolese was taken to hospital. Then came the comforting news. The flank defender regained consciousness and his condition was not life-threatening.
“I didn’t understand anything”, N’Sakala now adds his story The last hour. “I started coughing, my breath was completely cut off. Suddenly I also started throwing up, lost consciousness and fell to the ground. I thought my life was over. It felt like I was being strangled. Why? How? I have no idea. Because I felt really good and fresh.” Even after countless investigations, he was none the wiser. “The doctors have performed all possible tests and found nothing abnormal. There may be a connection with the heat, the second corona jab I had received shortly before is also an option. But those are just hypotheses.”
Perhaps as footballers we have neglected our health too much? We put so much pressure on ourselves, but not all have the body of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Though N’Sakala has his own theory. “Corona caused two bizarre years. A lot of tension, a lot of competitions in a short time, less vacation and a vaccine. Perhaps as footballers we have neglected our health too much? We put so much pressure on ourselves, but not all have the body of Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Two months later, N’Sakala feels “better than ever”. “I was not on a field for five days. Afterwards I gradually returned. Don’t rush into thinking it might happen to me again. But that didn’t happen, so at some point I started training like crazy.” However, with extra supervision from Besiktas. “Since this incident, the follow-up has been more thorough. There is more listening when a player is tired. Am I afraid of going through it again? No, I have mental peace. Otherwise it will have an impact on your performance.”
N’Sakala played 49 matches with Anderlecht from 2013 to 2017. In that period he managed to score once and also became champion once (season 2013-2014). After Anderlecht, the Congolese international went to Turkey. First to Alanyaspor. Last year he signed for top club Besiktas, where Michy Batshuayi now also plays.
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