On the heels of Fabrice Muamba‘s slow recovery from his near-death experience, another player who suffered a near tragic incident is returning to the field.
While the Antonio Cassano case is a lot less severe than Muamba, Cassano is another reminder of the strain soccer can have on the heart. The Italian striker was hospitalized in October 2011 for stroke-like symptoms and had to have heart surgery six days later to correct a cardiac malformation.
The surgery was minor and the Italian was able to resume training in early 2012. He was cleared this week to finally return to the senior squad. The news is great for Cassano who, with a bit of luck, may also be able to join Italy for the European Championships in June.
Hidden behind the news, however, must stand a bit of cynicism. Just a month after an apparently healthy 23-year-old collapsed and died (for 78 minutes), questions need to be raised about a 30-year old heart surgery patient returning to the field.
The cases are entirely different, as is the damage to the respective hearts, but Cassano’s return will be more closely watched than any others making such a triumphant return. The best is expected of bad-boy Cassano in his return to Milan, and many hope that he will return to top play.
The return needs to be paced and carefully observed. This is a time for FIFA and the soccer world to show they truly care about the health of the players. This is not to say Cassano should not have a right to return, but his injury needs to be treated seriously and he needs to ensure that, pride aside, he truly is ready to play again.
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Thumbnail Photo via Flickr/al7n6awi
