Barcelona's Gerard Pique could have died due to head collisions according to neurosurgeon

"Gerard Piqué has taken on thousands of aerial challenges in his career, but one incident stands out to Andreu Gabarrós, head of neurosurgery at Hospital de Bellvitge. Reflecting on a match in which the defender briefly lost consciousness, Gabarrós recalled thinking, "If he gets another impact, he could die." That moment, he says, illustrates how dangerous head trauma in football can be."

"Gabarrós noted that Piqué was initially on the verge of returning to the pitch before medical staff intervened. Their decision, he believes, was crucial. A second blow before full recovery can trigger what specialists call second-impact syndrome, a rapid and severe brain swelling that can be fatal without immediate intervention. Cases in American football exposed the phenomenon years ago, and the same mechanism can apply in any contact sport."

"Beyond dramatic incidents like the one involving Piqué, football continues to grapple with the potential cumulative effects of repeated heading. Each impact moves the brain within the skull, and although cerebrospinal fluid provides a degree of protection, it is not always enough to prevent minor injuries. Gabarrós explained that repetitive heading can amount to microtrauma. Some studies have detected proteins in players' blood that act as markers of mild brain injury after controlled heading drills. While he said there is still no conclusive structured evidence linking football to widespread chronic neurological decline, there are clinical parallels to conditions seen in boxing, where repeated blows"

A defender briefly lost consciousness during a match and was nearly allowed to return before medical staff intervened. A second blow before full recovery can trigger second-impact syndrome, causing rapid, severe brain swelling that can be fatal without immediate treatment. Concussions should sideline players for at least a couple of weeks regardless of symptom severity; dizziness, headache, nausea, instability, or a sense that something is wrong should prompt immediate evaluation and medical teams must override players who push to continue. Repetitive heading can cause microtrauma, with studies finding blood protein markers of mild brain injury, though structured evidence linking football to widespread chronic neurological decline remains inconclusive, with clinical parallels to boxing.

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