Spare a thought for Iranian soccer player Ferydoon Zandi. His career has seen him play for professional teams in four countries, but his latest stop — Qatar — might be his last.
Just three games into his stay at Qatari club Al Ahli, Zandi broke his leg on Saturday in one of the most horrific sports injuries in memory. He appeared to be trying to shoot when an opponent intervened at the last moment, causing Zandi’s leg to hit his leg instead of the ball. Zandi’s leg snapped in two due to the force of impact.
The 34-year-old writhed in agony as shocked opponents and teammates looked on. He was taken off the field on a stretcher and rushed to a local hospital.
FOX Soccer reports Zandi, a German-born midfielder hoped to play for Iran (his father’s homeland) at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. There’s little chance of that happening now. In fact it will be a triumph if he recovers from this injury and plays another professional game.
See Zandi’s leg break in the video below (warning: it contains graphic images).
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