Football fans across the globe have taken to social media to slam the Iranian medical staff after first-choice shot-stopper Alireza Beiranvand was allowed to play on after a nasty head injury, which took over ten minutes to deal with.
The goalkeeper collided with his own player when making a save from a cross from England skipper Harry Kane, preventing an almost certain goal with Raheem Sterling lurking. The Iranian no.1 then stayed down for a period of several minutes as he was attended to by the medical staff as his replacement warmed up on the sidelines.
However, to everyone’s surprise, Bieranvand was allowed to continue, despite blood flowing from his nose. Moments later, he himself had to force the substitutes bench into action, going down off the ball and lying flat on his back, with Hossein Hosseini coming on to replace the stricken goalkeeper.
Iran’s goalkeeper after clashing heads with his own defender, he tried to play on after being tended to by the medical team 😳 pic.twitter.com/uFyCDMXqrD
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 21, 2022
It was another instance of issues surrounding head injuries, and plenty took to social media to lambast the decision to allow Bieranvand to carry on despite clearly being unfit to do so, as he proved just moments later. The decision was branded in some quarters as crazy, while others branded it an embarrassment and crazy.
Football’s concussion procedures are an embarrassment. Where is the if in doubt sit it out procedures… I’ll say it again the football authorities do not care about their players…
— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) November 21, 2022
Beiranvand now being taken off on a stretcher, which should have happened in the first place.
— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) November 21, 2022
Absolutely crazy that football still allows players to stay on after a clash of heads like that. Temporary concussion substitutes need to be mandatory: get him off, assess him properly, bring him back if he’s fine. A player is always going to say they’re fine to continue.
— Si Lloyd (@SmnLlyd5) November 21, 2022
It’s mad that they let that keeper even give it a go. Anyone with functioning eyes could see it was game over. It’s obviously incredibly sad for him but the lad was all over the place as soon as it happened.
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) November 21, 2022
Once again, terrible job from the medical staff. These “professionals” are not doing their job. Too often we see a head injury, the player continues for a couple mins, and then taken off. How many have continued to play through these issues?
— ʀʏᴀɴ (@Utd_Ryan_) November 21, 2022
The fact he even continued shows the ridiculousness and lack of care in player welfare in head injuries that remains in the game.
— The Gooner Talk (@TheGoonerTalkTv) November 21, 2022
Entirely fitting for this World Cup that a man was forced to carry on working in unsafe conditions.
— Jamie (@JamieCutteridge) November 21, 2022
Why are we still having the discussion about whether someone should still be on the pitch after a clash of heads like that?
We need a protocol asap.
Get them off the pitch and assessed.
Playing on shouldn’t be an option.#ENGIRN— Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) November 21, 2022
That is shambolic that he was allowed to stay on, even for a couple of minutes.
Hajsafi putting so much pressure on him to keep going on was such a bad look.
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) November 21, 2022
Iran’s keeper Alireza Beiranvand’s has just toppled over and looks in a bad way. He has his head in his hands and is being stretchered off. How on earth was he allowed to play on?
— Sean Ingle (@seaningle) November 21, 2022
What made any medic think that keeper could stay on? Absolute joke. Madness. And dangerous. #ENGIRN @talkSPORT
— Adrian Durham (@TheAdrianDurham) November 21, 2022
