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In 2016, former West German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher finally confessed to the dark undercurrent of his infamous challenge: “It was cowardice. Secretly, I feared (Patrick) Battiston was seriously injured, possibly lying in a coma.”
Football supporters are rarely confronted with such egregious, unpunished fouls, nor the sight of a player being rendered unconscious on the pitch. Yet, on the night of July 8, 1982, in Seville, the World Cup semi-final between West Germany and France delivered exactly that devastating spectacle.
The Infamous Collision
With the score level at 1-1, and the match entering its critical hour, Patrick Battiston—having only been on the field for ten minutes—surged onto a brilliant, defense-splitting through-ball from Michel Platini. As he reached the edge of the penalty box, Battiston managed to poke the ball just wide of the goal.
The onrushing Schumacher, however, had committed himself entirely to intercepting the Frenchman. Instead of the ball, he collided violently with Battiston at full pace, instantly knocking him unconscious. The impact was catastrophic: Battiston suffered the loss of two teeth, fractured three ribs, and sustained a fractured vertebra.
An Unpunished Foul
To the deep indignation of the French side, Schumacher was not even issued a caution by the referee. This decision profoundly soured the atmosphere and cast a devastating shadow over what was otherwise an exhilarating contest that should have been remembered as one of the World Cup's greatest matches.
The animosity directed at the goalkeeper from France was so intense that a subsequent newspaper poll shockingly identified him as France's greatest enemy—second only to Hitler.
The tense match ended 3-3 after extra time, necessitating a penalty shootout. The West Germans maintained their composure, winning the shootout largely thanks to Schumacher, who saved two penalties. Their emotional victory, however, was fleeting; they were ultimately defeated by Italy, 3-1, in the final.
