The world witnessed one of the most horrific scenes during A-League clash between Melbourne City FC and Adelaide United after midfielder Juande Prados Lopez suffered a leg injury. While at first it seemed a normal challenge from Juande on City’s Florin Berenguer for the ball in the 66th minute, but a loud crack was heard by the AAMI park as the Adelaide midfielder went down holding his leg.
Juande suffered the injury shortly after entering the game as a halftime substitute. When the incident occurred, A-League sideline commentator Michael Zappone was on the field and even reported hearing a loud crack. The Melbourne City players reportedly hurried to the sidelines to call the ambulance, according to Zappome. He said, “I was literally meters away from where it happened and I could hear the crack, it was an awful sound.”
Adelaide United players in shock after Juande injury
In the 66th minute at AAMI Park, Juande battled City’s Florin Berenguer for possession of the ball just when a loud boom was audible upon impact. As players from both teams—some in tears—immediately called for medical assistance, the bottom of the Spaniard’s right leg was left at an abnormal angle as a result of the incident.
Juande’s leg was screened off in the ambulance so that he could not be seen on television when he received initial medical care, yet it took 13 minutes for the ambulance to get to the scene. Ambulance Victoria, has not been present at A-League games since November 2018 due to the presence of emergency physicians at stadiums in their place.
Juande was eventually transferred to the hospital, where he had surgery later that evening. The game continued following the long break of 35 minutes as it finished 3-3. However, it was marred by the horrible injury, as Adelaide United boss, Carl Veart, who played for Sheffield United, Wolves, and Millwall in England during his playing career said:
“It’s something that you don’t want to ever witness on a football field. It was hard to see and hard to have to wait that long for him to get removed off the pitch. I’m just devastated for him.
“As far as I’m understanding, it’s a Victorian government thing, that doesn’t have the ambulance at sporting events. I think it’s the only state in Australia.
“It’s disappointing at a professional sport that you don’t have emergency care straight away because he was in a lot of pain, and to wait that long – it wasn’t a nice thing to be witnessing that.”
The ambulance policy was later confirmed to AAP by the A-League. Greg O’Rourke, commissioner of the A-League, remarked:
“In November 2018, static ambulance services were withdrawn by Ambulance Victoria and instead emergency physicians were installed at the stadium.
“Emergency physicians are doctors who have specialised in emergency medicine. As specialist medical practitioners they are able to provide a higher level of care than a paramedic.
“That change was approved by PFA (Professional Footballers Australia) in 2018 and has been policy in Victoria ever since. In every other state, it remains policy to have static ambulances.”