Barnabas Varga, a Ferencvaros player, was carted off the field on a stretcher following an injury during the crucial 2024 Euro victory of Hungary over Scotland, a win that was ultimately attributed to him. After being taken to the hospital, the midfielder was reported to be in stable condition in Stuttgart, despite the impact of the injury resulting in several broken facial bones and a concussion brought about during a collision in the game. Given the severity of the injury, it’s considered likely that he’ll undergo surgery and spend the night in the local hospital.
While Varga was attended to and stretchered off the field amid screens, his teammates remained invested in his condition. Roland Sallai, the man of the match expressed his concern and dedicated the game to him whilst stating, “He’s in much better shape now but possibly requires a minor surgery. We fought for him in the remaining time.”
However, Marco Rossi, Hungary’s head coach, seemed unclear about the specifics of Varga’s injury situation saying it was difficult to ascertain whether the collision involved the goalkeeper or another rival player which resulted in a VAR check for a potential penalty. Rossi mentioned how Varga appeared unconscious after the incident and how the delayed medical assistance heightened the team’s worries. In relief, Rossi confirmed Varga’s health wasn’t at risk though he may need to undergo surgery due to a fracture and won’t be contributing to the team any further in this competition.
In the aftermath, Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn spoke to the BBC stating he found the incident hard to recall. Despite his physical discomfort, Gunn expressed his best wishes for the injured player.
Rossi expressed his belief that Hungary rightfully deserved their victory, while also taking swipes at “online critics” who had been scrutinising his performance throughout the tournament. “We unquestionably had ample chances compared to our opponent Scotland,” stated the Italian. He went on to underscore his strong desire to secure a win, stating, “It would have been enormously disheartening to depart without gaining any points. Comparatively, our cumulative score being three, signifies a single point increase relative to our prior score.”
“To conclude, all I can deduce is that the only label of detriment towards me and my team would be the initial half against Switzerland that we didn’t perform up to par,” he added, quoting Guardian.