The scene is undoubtedly part of the legend of French football. The name of Harald Schumacher is likely to send a shiver down the spine of all the supporters of the Blues who experienced the famous semi-final of the 1982 World Cup between France and West Germany, where the attack on Patrick Battiston by the German goalkeeper took place.
Unfortunately, and very sadly, this episode experienced a disastrous remake during a Spanish D2 match where Jesus de Miguel, the Tenerife striker, lost his life following violent contact with Jesus Owono, the Andorra goalkeeper, very far from his goal. In both cases, it is a goalkeeper who comes out in a reckless manner and hits the opposing attacker with his hip. Jesus de Miguel was hit in the chest, which caused a cardio-respiratory arrest. Battiston had been hit in the head.
Seeing him lying on the ground, lifeless, the Blues at the time feared for the life of their teammate. Meanwhile, Harald Schumacher remained on the sidelines, without showing the slightest consideration for his opponent, preparing to shoot from six meters: the referee did not even call a foul on this action!
Immediately, medical staff came to help Patrick Battiston. The Blues defender was then unconscious, the doctor will even have difficulty finding his pulse. He will end up being evacuated on a stretcher, with his captain Michel Platini holding his hand, his face defeated. Highly worried.
“Afraid it will be much more serious”
Taken to hospital, Patrick Battiston will have to remain under observation all night. The result, ultimately, was three broken teeth, head trauma and a fracture of the cervical vertebrae. A lesser evil, somewhere, especially since we now know that the worst was possible.
A few years later, Harald Schumacher made his mea culpa. “I regret everything that happened after the clash with Battiston. I already apologized for not checking on him when he was knocked out. But then I told myself that if I got closer things could get out of hand, explains the German goalkeeper. After the match, a journalist intercepted me to inform me that Battiston had lost two teeth. I was relieved because I was afraid it would be much more serious. »
