Horror injury in the 2nd Bundesliga
Professional falls on his head – and remains motionless
Updated on January 18, 2026 – 5:38 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
There was a bad scene shortly before the end of the game between Holstein Kiel and SC Paderborn. There is an oppressive silence in the stadium afterwards.
Bad scene on Sunday afternoon in the 2nd Bundesliga: In the game between Holstein Kiel and SC Paderborn (2-0), guest player Calvin Brackelmann had to be taken off the pitch on a stretcher by paramedics shortly before the end. The defender appears to have been seriously injured. The game had to be stopped for several minutes.
What had happened? Shortly before the end of regular time, a cross sailed into Kiel’s penalty area. Brackelmann rose to head the ball but was unintentionally undermined by his opponent Lasse Rosenboom. As a result, the Paderborn man fell uncontrollably on his head and remained motionless on the ground.
The team doctors rushed over immediately. Both the Paderborn and Kiel professionals gathered around Brackelmann, who didn’t move, some with worried looks. Some of them kept waving their arms to summon paramedics, who shortly afterwards came running onto the pitch with a stretcher.
There was now an oppressive silence in the Holstein Stadium. After another few anxious minutes, Brackelmann was taken away on a stretcher. The paramedics had recently fixed his spine. The fans applauded the 26-year-old and the game was then brought to an end. Paderborn had to play the last few minutes outnumbered as the substitution quota had already been exhausted. Referee Michael Bacher ultimately blew the whistle after 16 minutes of added time.
It is not yet known what the situation is with Brackelmann. SC Paderborn wished its player a speedy recovery in a statement on its website. The club also stated: “What matters now is that Calvin Brackelmann gets better quickly. That’s why we’re holding back on further reporting today.” The East Westphalians also thanked the medical staff for the first aid on the pitch as well as the spectators, “who dealt with the difficult situation very empathetically.”
