FIFPro has slammed football for not taking concussion protocol seriously at the World Cup, despite the controversy at the same tournament four years ago when a clearly disorientated Christoph Kramer played on for Germany in the final.
Nordin Amrabat played the full 90 minutes of Morocco's 1-0 loss against Portugal on Wednesday, but his protective headwear lasted just 16 minutes before he removed it. FIFPro, the union for players worldwide, said the Watford winger "returned to action too soon according to medical guidelines" after he banged his head in his country's outing against Iran five days earlier.
The statement also read: "Four years on from the debacle of the last World Cup, where several players did not receive adequate care, football has not made sufficient progress in #concussion management. Calls to implement world-class standards have been overlooked."
The way Amrabat's collision with Iran's Vahid Amiri was dealt with at the time was concerning. The clearly dazed 31-year-old was picked up from the ground, splashed in the face with water, and slapped around the face several times by the Moroccan medical team before he was replaced by his brother Sofyan.
In addition to the Kramer incident at the previous World Cup, concussion was a hot topic when it transpired Liverpool's Loris Karius suffered the head injury during his error-strewn performance in the Champions League final with serial winner Real Madrid.