Anderlecht goalkeeper Daniel Zítka suited up for Friday night’s match against Dender with a certain basic confidence in his fellow human beings. He knew he could count on his teammates to give their all, like true professionals. He knew he could count on his opponents not to hurl themselves into him in the box, causing him to break his fibula. And he knew—I think he probably said this to himself, sniffing stoically, as he laced up his boots—that even if he did break his leg in the box, the medics on hand were highly trained men chosen for their skill and competence, not orange-vested circus clowns who would lose their balance while carrying him off the pitch and drop him from the stretcher.
Daniel Zítka knew a lot of things Friday night. It’s much less clear what he still knew Saturday morning.
[via 101 Great Goals]
Read More: Going the Extra Mile
by Brian Phillips · November 30, 2008
For some reason I had the idea that he was Danish, and wrote the first draft of this post with the title “The Dane in Pain Stays Mainly on the Plain.” I want you to know that I’m not proud of any of this.
At least you didn’t say he busst’ed his leg.
You could always go with “Czech hits the deck at Anderlecht.”
Sorry. It’s been a very long weekend.
Frankly, I’m just relieved it wasn’t a Theismann/Eduardo leg-break. Still, poor guy.
I think this all hit bottom when they simply rolled Zitka back on the stretcher and carried on while the man who slipped gets a hearty, “Are you okay?” from one of the other medical staff.