Defender Rafael Czichos of the 1st. FC Cologne suffered a neck spine injury in the Hertha BSC championship game (5:0). The 29-year-old should stay overnight for safety in a Berlin hospital.
FC CEO Horst Heldt had initially talked to the TV channel “Sky” about a possible neck-swirbel spraying.
— 1. FC Cologne (@fckoeln) 22. February 2020
Czichos had to be treated after a head-on collision for minutes on the lawn. He had been put on a neck brace for stabilization and had been immediately transported to the hospital.
In the press conference after the match of the Bundesliga in the Olympic stadium Cologne coach Markus Gisdol stressed that everyone in the team had been shocked at first and they had made their move during the break, also for Czichos to add a few percentage points on the second half and win the game.