Jena professional seriously injured - "Expect the worst"

The cup match in the Thuringian state cup between 1. FC Greiz and FC Carl Zeiss Jena was overshadowed by a serious injury. Jena midfielder Osazee Aghatise (39th minute) stepped into a hollow in the turf without any influence from the opponent and apparently suffered a serious knee injury. He had to be treated for several minutes, then paramedics arrived by helicopter at the start of the second half, landed next to the Tempelwald sports ground and tended to 22-year-old Aghatise, who was born in Cologne.

Jena coach Volkan Uluc spoke plainly in an MDR interview after his regional league team's 4:0 victory and the resulting progression to the third round. "The result is of secondary importance today because Aghatise's serious injury overshadows everything. Without a duel, without pressure, he stepped into the hollow here, probably broke his whole knee."

Better pitch controls

Uluc calls for sensible pitch controls in cup matches, especially for lower-class clubs. "I think that something has to happen somehow, that pitches are checked beforehand." His thoughts are with his player. "It does something to the team, to the players, when a rescue helicopter flies in over the pitch during a match. We have to see what's wrong with the boy, but we have to expect the worst."