Euro 2024: Hungary's Barnabas Varga provides first update after serious head injury
Varga was knocked unconscious after colliding with Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn
Hungary star Barnabas Varga has spoken out for the first time since undergoing surgery for a serious head injury sustained in the Euro 2024 victory over Scotland.
Varga was knocked unconscious after colliding with Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn during the second half of Sunday night’s crucial match in Stuttgart.
There were troubling scenes as play was halted for some time before the forward was stretchered off the pitch, with Hungary going on to win the match in the 100th minute.
After full-time, Hungary’s Football Association announced that Varga was ‘conscious and in a stable condition’ but would ‘most likely undergo surgery’ after breaking several bones in his face.
The 29-year-old’s wife Laura Skrapits has now shared an update on his condition posting a picture on Instagram of herself holding Varga’s hand while in hospital.
It is accompanied by the caption: "Thank you for your kind, supportive messages. Barni is over the surgery. A little rest is waiting for him but he’ll be fine"
The post has since been shared on Varga’s Instagram story.
Meanwhile, Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai criticised the fact that medical staff were unable to rush onto the pitch to attend to Varga without referee Facundo Tello's permission.
The Liverpool star took matters into his own hands, running over to fetch their stretcher and hasten their assistance to his teammate.
"I don’t know how it works but if our doctor says we need [to go] immediately to someone to help then I don’t think they should walk," he said.
European football’s governing body, UEFA, has now issued a statement regarding the incident, insisting that all protocols were followed correctly and that they did not delay Varga’s treatment.
"With regards to the medical intervention following the head injury suffered by Barnabas Varga of Hungary, we would like to clarify that the intervention of the team doctor happened within 15 seconds of the incident, followed immediately by the second stadium doctor, to conduct a first assessment of the injury and provide appropriate treatment, as per customary medical procedures.
"The qualified pitchside emergency team were waiting pitchside, according to their protocol, and arrived with the stretcher as soon as their intervention was requested by the medics to evacuate the player for his immediate transfer to hospital.
"The coordination between all the medical staff on site was professional and everything was done in accordance with the applicable medical procedures. There was no delay in the treatment of and assistance to the player."
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