A-League slammed as star has agonising 13-minute wait for treatment on horrific broken leg Juande

Adelaide manager Carl Veart has lamented the lack of on-site ambulances at A-League matches in Victoria after midfielder Juande suffered a terrible lower leg injury in the 3-3 draw in Adelaide. the Reds in Melbourne City.

Juande was injured when he and City’s Florin Berenguer challenged for the ball in the 66th minute at AAMI Park.

There was a loud crack on impact and the Spanish midfielder’s lower right leg was thrown at an unnatural angle as both groups of players called for medical staff, with some crying.

It took 13 minutes for an ambulance to arrive at AAMI Park, with Juande’s leg shielded from cameras and the crowd as he underwent treatment on the pitch.

The injury was so disruptive that sheets were used to shield fans and other players from view.

Ambulance Victoria have not stationed ambulances at A-Leagues matches since November 2018, instead emergency medics on site.

After being treated on the pitch, Juande was taken to the hospital. He will have surgery on Sunday night.

“It’s something you never want to see on a football field,” Veat said.

“It was hard to watch and have to wait so long to be carried off the field.”

‘I am devastated for him.

“As far as I understand, it is a matter of the Victorian government, which does not have ambulances at sporting events. I think it’s the only state in Australia.

“It’s disappointing in a professional sport that you don’t get emergency care right away because he was in a lot of pain and waiting so long, it wasn’t a nice thing to witness.”

The A-League confirmed the ambulance policy to AAP.

Juande’s teammate and fellow Spaniard, Javi López, was visibly distraught and nearly collapsed as his friend waited for his leg to be seen.

Players from both teams were left traumatized by the broken leg, with some breaking down in tears as they pleaded for medical personnel to hurry.

“In November 2018, Ambulance Victoria withdrew static ambulance services and instead installed emergency medics at the stadium,” A-Leagues commissioner Greg O’Rourke said in a statement.

‘Emergency physicians are physicians who have specialized in emergency medicine. As specialist doctors, they can provide a higher level of care than a paramedic.

That change was approved by the PFA (Professional Footballers of Australia) in 2018 and has been a policy in Victoria ever since. In all other states, it is still the policy to have static ambulances.

After Juande was taken to hospital, play was restarted from the moment of the incident, with City scoring an equalizer in the 90th minute from the penalty spot.

Adelaide took the lead through George Blackwood in the first minute, but City equalized through Thomas Lam’s header in the 12th minute.

United regained the lead five minutes later, when Javi López headed Craig Goodwin’s corner to the near post for Ryan Kitto to score.

Blackwood came off in the 29th minute after hyperextending his left knee, but Adelaide was confident he had avoided an ACL tear.

The 36-year-old’s injury was “something you would never want to see on a football field,” his coach Carl Veart said.

Goodwin converted a pass from behind City’s Jordan Bos to add the Reds’ third on 42 minutes.

City pulled one back in the 52nd when Mathew Leckie drove down the left, clipping his right foot and skidding a shot into the far bottom corner.

They wasted multiple late chances before a last-minute penalty, awarded when Bos was cut up by Alexandar Popovic, allowed Jamie Maclaren to equalize from the spot.

“We expected them to be more affected by the injury than us,” City manager Rado Vidosic said.

“I’m not sure if that happened, but we created some chances in the last 20-25 minutes.”