A footballer loses a finger while trying to remove a firecracker from the field.
What appeared to be a smoke bomb turned out to be a Cobra 6, an illegal firecracker with the power of a grenade.
KSCT Menen player Fabio Schifano suffered the amputation of one finger and damage to two others after a fan of his own team set off fireworks at the end of the match against SK Zillebeke in Belgium's 4th Provincial Division C.
When he picked up the device, believing it to be harmless, it exploded in his hand, causing serious injuries. This happened on his birthday, just after scoring two goals in his team's victory (4-0).
"When the smoke cleared, I saw that part of my fingers had disappeared," Schifano, who will not forget his 26th anniversary, told HLN. What should have been a celebration ended in tragedy for him, his club and football, which once again shows a dark face in the stands.
The player received immediate medical attention due to the severity of his injuries, while abundant blood covered the field during his urgent transfer to the hospital.
Despite the interventions, they could not save one of his fingers, which was amputated.
The police arrested the person responsible for launching the device, a 21-year-old young man with no ties to the club or the affected player.