What exactly happened to Barnabas Varga and how long will his recovery take?
Injuries are part and parcel of sport, but occasionally situations arise during games that prompt serious concern for the wellbeing of an athlete. That is precisely what happened when Hungary’s Barnabas Varga collided with Angus Gunn in a Euro 2024 game against Scotland.
Thankfully, Varga’s condition was quickly declared stable, but the distressing moments on the pitch after the collision will undoubtedly stay with his team-mates and Hungarian football fans for some time to come.
Here, Footballblogzz takes a look at what happened to Varga, plus how long his recovery will take.
What happened to Barnabas Varga?
Varga suffered a fractured cheekbone and concussion when his head collided with the shoulder of goalkeeper Angus Gunn during the Euro 2024 group game between Hungary and Scotland.
Varga was competing for a high ball that was played into the Scotland box, while Gunn was attempting to clear it. Varga fell to the ground and his team-mates immediately rushed to his aid, placing him in a recovery position while they waited for medical assistance.
Such was the apparent severity of the injury that screens were held up to cover Varga while he received medical attention and he needed to be taken off on a stretcher. The game was interrupted for approximately 10 minutes before resuming.
Given the uncertainty and the nature of the injury, the scene even brought a number of Varga’s team-mates to tears. After the game, which Hungary won 1-0, the Hungary players followed the lead of captain Dominik Szoboszlai and held up jerseys featuring Varga’s name to show their support for their stricken team-mate.
Varga was subsequently taken to a hospital in Stuttgart where he received further treatment. Afterwards, Hungary manager Marco Rossi explained that the player was stable, but would not feature again at the tournament.
“Varga is okay,” Rossi told BBC Sport. “Unfortunately he will be operated on because he suffered a fracture. We will see [what happens]. If we progress in the tournament for sure he will not be with us.”
The situation with Varga receiving urgent medical attention on the pitch prompted comparisons to Euro 2020 when Christian Eriksen collapsed during a game against Finland. However, the injuries were completely different, with Eriksen suffering cardiac arrest on that occasion.
How long will Varga’s recovery take?
The injuries sustained by Varga against Scotland mean that he will be out of action for four-to-six weeks at a minimum, but a full recovery will likely take longer than that.
Recovery times for concussions vary on how severe they are, but athletes can usually return to action in a number of weeks. However, Varga suffered fractures to a number of facial bones, which required surgery to correct.
The Ferencvaros forward is looking at around two months to recover from his injuries and may opt to wear a face mask for a number of weeks when he first returns to full-contact training.
