A wayward free kick from Inter winger Antonio Candreva caused a steward at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino to have his spleen removed.
The bizarre incident occurred during Torino’s 1-0 victory over Inter last Sunday.
Just 23 minutes into the first half, Candreva blasted a free kick into the stands and it struck 25-year-old Marco Rapisarda.
The steward, a university student, had been facing the other way to check on the security of the crowd and didn’t realise the ball was travelling towards his lower back at such speed.
A wayward free kick from Inter winger Antonio Candreva caused a steward at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino to have his spleen removed.
The bizarre incident occurred during Torino’s 1-0 victory over Inter last Sunday.
Just 23 minutes into the first half, Candreva blasted a free kick into the stands and it struck 25-year-old Marco Rapisarda.
The steward, a university student, had been facing the other way to check on the security of the crowd and didn’t realise the ball was travelling towards his lower back at such speed.
According to the Corriere della Sera and Sky Sport Italia, he was taken to hospital with back pain that evening and had to have surgery to stop the internal haemorrhage.
He then had his spleen removed.
Torino and Inter have gifted the unfortunate student some jerseys and changed the security detail for home games, moving stewards to the Plexiglas protection.