Football needs to catch up and get its house in order over concussion


Sunday’s incident involving Raúl Jiménez and David Luiz was a reminder that other sports have far more sophisticated protocols in place

For too long football has played tiki-taka with the issue of concussion, rather than tackling it head on. It has been passed around from committee to committee, governing body to governing body, without the authorities facing up to its pernicious threat. Perhaps the recent deaths of Jack Charlton and Nobby Stiles will sharpen the focus.

What happened at the Emirates on Sunday night certainly should. It was jolting enough to witness Wolves’ Raúl Jiménez receiving oxygen and leaving on a stretcher with a fractured skull following a clash of heads with David Luiz. It was almost as worrying when the Arsenal man got up and carried on for another 40 minutes, despite blood oozing through his head bandages.

Related: Concussion substitutes trial could begin in Premier League early next year

Related: Manchester City's Ederson calls for concussion substitutes after David Luiz incident

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