Picture Credit: Twitter
Giuliano Simeone suffered a serious leg injury during a preseason game against second division side Burgos which was so grievous that the player had to receive immediate medical attention and be taken to a hospital. The player’s left ankle was distorted by a tackle and the players immediately motioned to the referee to stop play so he could be treated.
Son of Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, Giuliano also plays for Atletico. Currently the 20-year-old striker is on loan with La Liga side Alaves and featured in their preseason game against Burgos. The horror tackle came in the 85th minute as Alaves trailed 2-1 and the severity of the injury caused the match to be abandoned with just five minutes of normal time to go. The Alaves players looked distraught at the extent of the injury. Simeone’s left ankle was clearly twisted into the wrong direction as the young player screamed in agony. Some of the players even had their head in their hands as the forward was being treated or in tears when he was stretchered off to be taken to the hospital.
The young striker scored Alaves’s only goal of the match.
Questions over severity of tackle and attitude
The player behind the tackle, Jose Matos, seemed apparently nonchalant and ambivalent after committing the injury. He simply walked away from the situation despite the young player’s clearly devastating condition. It was later reported that Matos was not aware of the extent of the injury and when he was made aware, he walked off the pitch in tears.
Questions were asked about not only the necessity of the tackle but also the severity. It was a pre-season game, with nothing on the line, and his team were already winning with just five minutes left to go. It is almost incomprehensible to, most likely, end a young player’s season before it has even begun.
