In the 22nd minute, the spectators stopped at the French first division match between Girondins Bordeaux and AS Saint -Étienne. After a cross from the hosts AS goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier came out of his gate to clear the ball with his fist. He overlooked his own defender Neven Subotic and rammed the former Bundesliga professional's knee against the temple.
Subotic fell to the ground and remained motionless. A gaping laceration had opened on his head. The scene continued, the former Hanoverian Jimmy Briand dusted off for the meantime 1: 1. Only then was the game interrupted.
Subotic had to be treated for a long time, carried on a stretcher from the field with a neck brace and taken to the hospital for further examinations. An exact diagnosis does not exist so far. The club sent the 29-year-old Serbs even during the game recovery wishes.
#FCGBASSE 1-1 38e: courage, Neven! pic.twitter.com/RuNYtThYxC
- AS Saint-Étienne (@ASSEofficiel) 5 December 2018Subotic played from 2007 to 2008 at FSV Mainz and then moved together with coach Jürgen Klopp to Borussia Dortmund. With the BVB he won the German Cup 2011, the double from the championship and DFB Cup 2012 and reached in 2013 the Champions League final, which lost the Dortmund against Bayern.
After he was sorted out at Borussia and was awarded in the second half of 2016/2017 to the 1st FC Cologne, Subotic moved in January 2018 to Saint -Étienne and immediately became a regular player. So far this season he has missed only one game due to a suspension. Now he will probably miss his club for a longer time. AS are sixth in Ligue 1 with 26 points from 16 games. Saint-Étienne lost the game in Bordeaux 2: 3 (1: 1).