Shock moment in the stadium: Elkin Soto's knee disaster shakes Mainz 05!

Shock moment in the stadium: Elkin Soto's knee disaster shakes Mainz 05!

On May 4, 2015, the Bundesliga experienced one of the most dramatic moments of the season when Elkin Soto, a player of FSV Mainz 05, was seriously injured during a game against Hamburger SV. In the 30th minute of the game, which ended 2-1 for Hamburg, the disaster occurred. Soto accepted the ball when Rafael van der Vaart came to him from behind. In trying to play the ball, Soto injured his left knee when he hit Van der Vaart between his legs. Mainz 'manager Christian Heidel summarizes the situation of the injury: "The knee was no longer where it belongs".

The referee, Peter Sippel, decided not to recognize on foul what caused further outrage among the teammates. Johannes Geis expressed the general mood: "The result is shit. Our thoughts are at Elkin!" After the incident, Soto was brought to the Mainz University Clinic at half -time. The diagnosis two hours after the injury was devastating: subluxation of the knee, the front cruciate ligament, the inner ligament and the meniscus were badly damaged.

First steps to recover

Soto, who has been playing for Mainz 05 since 2007, was in shock. Initially, an operation was not possible due to the severity of the injury, and Soto had to be observed in the clinic. Nevertheless, he immediately received support from his employer; Heidel spontaneously offered him a new one -year contract, which was a sign of trust and solidarity. Coach Martin Schmidt emphasized: "We give him an anchor - that is also Mainz 05".

The process of recovery was challenging. The primary care and the necessary operations took place in the sports orthopaedicum Straubing. The first operation followed three days after the injury, in which the rear cruciate ligament was treated conservatively. His rehabilitation began on May 12, 2015 in the Mainz-Mombach outpatient rehabilitation center. Soto invested in his recovery two hours a day, with a focus on decongration, lymphatic drainage and the restoration of mobility.

The 34-year-old was optimistic despite the setbacks. He managed to concentrate on small goals during the rehabilitation process. Andrew's progress turned out to be relatively quick. Compared to other patients, Soto recovered more quickly after the cruciate ligament operation, which led him hopefully towards a comeback for Mainz 05.

A look at the season and the personal future

At a sporting level, the injury to Mainz 05 had immense effects. In the game after Soto's injury, the team caught a setback when Kevin Baumgartlinger achieved an own goal. Despite an interim compensation by Jairo Samperio, the team ultimately lost through a late goal from Kacar.

Elkin Sotos career plans seem opaque. Although his contract with Mainz is about to end, he plans to return to Colombia after recovery to support with his youth welfare. These tragic circumstances of the injury and its consequences throw a long shadow about the sporting success, but also about human solidarity in football.