Chris Sutton accuses UEFA of placing lives in danger… after Arsenal had been REFUSED the possibility to switch Beth Mead with a concussion substitute of their Champions League conflict with Ajax
- Beth Mead suffered a head damage throughout Arsenal’s sport in opposition to Ajax
- The Gunners needed to switch her however had no substitutes left to make
- They tried to make a concussion substitute however UEFA would not enable it
- Chris Sutton has hit out at UEFA for probably placing lives in danger
UEFA have been accused of placing gamers’ lives in danger as a result of their lack of concussion substitute protocols.
England star Beth Mead suffered a head damage throughout Arsenal’s Champions League sport at Ajax on Wednesday however the ahead was unable to be substituted as Arsenal had already used all of their regulation subs.
Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall had readied Lina Hurtig as an 87th-minute concussion substitution however reacted angrily when knowledgeable that the substitute wouldn’t be doable, saying: ‘What do you imply, “no?!”.’
Mead (proper) departed for her personal security however Arsenal had been pressured to complete the match with 10 gamers, seeing out a 1-0 victory and 3-2 on mixture.
‘What an terrible, treacherous, ignorant, probably lethal resolution it’s for these competitions to not have any type of security internet to assist these suspected of concussion,’ stated Sportsmail columnist Chris Sutton, a vigorous campaigner on head accidents in soccer.
‘It’s within the Premier League, Girls’s Tremendous League and different competitions. However it isn’t in European soccer. Arsenal completed with 10 gamers as Mead departed and nobody changed her. The membership did the correct factor and but they had been successfully punished for it by ending their fixture shy a physique.
‘What if, the subsequent time this occurs in a Champions League sport, that probably concussed participant doesn’t wish to depart the pitch? What in the event that they keep on? What in the event that they damage their already susceptible head once more?
Beth Mead suffered a head damage throughout Arsenal’s sport in opposition to Ajax on Wednesday

Jonas Eidevall needed to make a concussion substitution however UEFA would not enable him to
‘I don’t essentially assume additional everlasting concussion substitutes are the best way ahead — I want the short-term possibility, the place a participant is changed for a minimum of 10 minutes whereas she or he is assessed in non-public. However to don’t have anything in any respect? That’s simply downright harmful and UEFA must be ashamed.’
The trial of concussion substitutes will proceed within the Premier League and Girls’s Tremendous League till the top of this season a minimum of. However UEFA don’t have any plans to introduce it to their tournaments, regardless of Wednesday’s controversy.
Eidevall stated of head accidents: ‘It might have affect for the remainder of your life, so which means the choices should be excellent to not staying on.’

Chris Sutton, a vigorous campaigner for head accidents in soccer has hit out at UEFA’s resolution to not enable the concussion substitution to happen
There was additional controversy after it emerged that the goalposts at De Toekomst Stadium had been 10cm too small, earlier than being fastened in the course of the pre-match warm-up.
In a press release, Ajax admitted there had been an error following upkeep work.
‘We clearly remorse this and can modify the process to keep away from this sort of incident sooner or later,’ the membership stated.
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