Mainz player Josuha Guilavogui had expressed his gratitude to referee Patrick Ittrich for potentially saving his life during a Bundesliga game when his airway was blocked by his tongue.
Guilavogui suffered an unintentional blow to the head from teammate Anthony Caci’s knee in Saturday’s match against Bayern Munich. The French player lay motionless on the field, appearing unconscious, until Ittrich intervened. The referee swiftly placed Guilavogui in the recovery position and adjusted his tongue to ensure he could breathe again.
After the incident, Ittrich modestly remarked, “You just have to act quickly, there’s no praise for it.”
Guilavogui, on Sunday, took to X (formerly Twitter) to convey his appreciation, saying, “Thank you very much for the quick intervention and the help provided, Patrick Ittrich, my teammates, and the doctors at Mainz!”
Despite the unfortunate incident, Mainz suffered an 8-1 defeat and remained in the Bundesliga’s relegation zone.
