Bundesliga in the Bayern game
Referee saves Mainz professional from suffocation
Status: 11.03.2024 | Reading time: 2 minutes
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FC Bayern celebrates a landslide win against Mainz 05. Only later did it become known that a player from the guests had a serious accident on the pitch. Josuha Guilavogui thanks his alleged lifesaver: referee Patrick Ittrich.
There were dramatic scenes on Saturday on the lawn of the Munich Arena, which only became known much later despite dozens of cameras in the stadium and tens of thousands of visitors.
In FC Bayern’s 8-1 win against Mainz 05, guest player Josuha Guilavogui collided with his teammate Anthony Caci in the 33rd minute of the game. His colleague’s knee caught the Mainz midfielder in the head, the 33-year-old fell to the pitch and remained motionless.
First aider Ittrich prevented anything worse from happening with his courageous intervention
Source: dpa/Sven Hoppe
Right in the middle of the action was referee Patrick Ittrich, who is a police officer by profession. He immediately recognized the situation and immediately rushed to Guilavogui’s aid. The referee knelt down and put the Frenchman in the recovery position. He then pulled the tongue that he had swallowed out of Guilavogui’s throat, presumably saving his life as Guilavogui was in danger of suffocating.
“If someone is lying there like that, you have to act quickly. I have already experienced many such situations. The tongue was in the back and when it’s out again, you start breathing again and you’re there again,” said Ittrich: “That shouldn’t stick with the police officer, but with each of us. In everyday life, situations can always arise in which someone needs help.”
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Mainz gave the all-clear after the 8-1 defeat. There is a suspicion of a concussion, but Guilavogui says he is doing well, said Mainz sports director Martin Schmidt. The Frenchman has “a horn” on his head.
“Everyone should take a first aid course”
Guilavogui’s teammates were relieved after the rescue operation and immediately thanked the referee for his intervention. “Nadiem Amiri immediately hugged me because he realized it was an explosive situation,” said Ittrich. Guilavogui also spoke up via Instagram and X: “I would like to thank my teammates, the referee and the medical staff! I feel great and hope to be able to help my team again very soon.”
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“Everyone should take a first aid course,” said Ittrich. In such a situation it is important to act quickly.
