Brazilian player falls into a hole while celebrating a goal

A terrifying incident occurred during the Coritiba vs. Chapecoense match in the Brazilian Serie A when Coritiba defender Gassi fell into an open tunnel while celebrating a goal he believed had given his team the lead, before it was later disallowed for offside. Gassi had scored in the first half and jumped over the advertising boards in celebration, unaware that the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms was open in preparation for the players' halftime entrance. The 29-year-old defender fell into the tunnel, causing concern among his teammates, while a member of security rushed to his aid. After receiving treatment from the medical staff, Gassi returned to the pitch but was unable to continue playing and had to leave the field two minutes into the second half due to the pain he felt from the fall. The player's situation worsened when the referee disallowed his goal after a VAR review for offside, and the match ended with Coritiba defeating Chapecoense 2-1. A recurring incident after 12 years: The intriguing aspect is that Gassi's fall wasn't the first of its kind in the same tunnel at the "Cotto Pereira" stadium. A similar incident occurred there in 2014 when Coritiba striker Joel fell inside the tunnel while celebrating one of his goals against São Paulo. Remarkably, the security guard who intervened to help Gassi was the same one who rushed to Joel's aid 12 years earlier, an incident that brought back memories of the earlier one and sparked widespread interest. The difficult events of the match weren't limited to Gassi's fall. The game also witnessed a more serious medical incident when Chapecoense midfielder Max Alves suffered a severe injury after colliding with a teammate. Alves was transferred to the intensive care unit before undergoing chest surgery after tests revealed he had suffered multiple rib fractures. Thus, the Coritiba vs. Chapecoense match had exceptional events, starting with Gassi’s fall inside the tunnel and the cancellation of his goal, up to the serious injury suffered by the Chapecoense player, despite the match ending with a 2-1 victory for the home team.