Galatasaray Istanbul
For former Bundesliga professional Omar Elabdelloui, a 13-month ordeal could end on Saturday. The 30-year-old Galatasaray striker could be back in the Lions squad for the first time since his accident on New Year’s Eve 2020 that nearly cost him his sight. A return to the pitch seemed almost impossible about a year ago.
“I wasn’t really in control for the first few days. Everything was dark – I didn’t know if it was day or night. The time didn’t matter,” Elabdellaoui said “Guardians”. In an attempt to ignite several fireworks at the same time, one of them exploded in the immediate vicinity of the Norwegian. In addition to second-degree facial burns, the eyes were particularly affected, but more precise forecasts were not initially possible.
“It was difficult for her to tell right away how bad it was. In one moment I grabbed the doctor to say, ‘Just tell me the truth, tell me how bad it is.’ She said, ‘Her left eye doesn’t look that bad, but we don’t know about her right eye.’ But the way they said it, I knew it wasn’t good,” said Elabdellaoui, who had been with the club for just three and a half months at the time.
In the summer of 2020, Galatasaray signed the 49-time national player from Olympiacos Piraeus on a free transfer. The right-footed player, who was under contract with Eintracht Braunschweig in 2013/14, then played 13 competitive games for the Süper Lig club before the accident slowed him down.
A return to the pitch seemed very unlikely at this point. eye expert dr. Edward Holland, who was in charge of the case from start to finish and was acknowledged by the professional in an Instagram post on Friday night, put the chance of regaining sight at between five and ten percent. It was one of the worst injuries he has treated in his 35-year career.
Eleven operations and countless ups and downs followed, which put a lot of mental strain on Elabdellaoui: “I didn’t dare to sleep. After a few days, as soon as I could see a little light with my left eye, I was afraid to sleep because I was afraid of the dark. Although I could see a little bit in the left eye at that point, I always made sure the light was still there because I was afraid of losing it.”
Training helped Galatasaray pro Elabdellaoui: “Kept me alive”
During the many surgeries, for which Elabdellaoui had to spend several months in the USA, among other things, training and the thought of making a comeback at Galatasaray kept him happy. “That saved me, that kept me alive, I won’t lie. Without that I couldn’t have survived all the way – this was my escape. I started training early and made up my mind that I will definitely play again. Every time I had a really hard session, I would sweat it all out. I could feel that I was still capable, strong and alive,” he says.
It’s a scar that will stay with me forever.
At the beginning of January, Elabdelloui was allowed to train with the team again for the first time. “When he returned to the pitch it was very emotional, all the players were crying and hugging each other,” Galatasaray club doctor Yener Ince said. The first appearance in a friendly game followed two weeks ago, before it should also work in a competitive game after a two-week Corona break. This return shouldn’t be any less emotional, because the last year is “something that will accompany me forever. I can not forget. It’s a scar that will stay with me forever,” says Elabdellaoui, who will play with sports glasses in the future.
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