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Football

18th Feb 2018

Bafetimbi Gomis collapses on pitch during Galatasaray match, but continues playing

It's not the first time he has collapsed on the pitch

Reuben Pinder

It’s not the first time he has fainted on the pitch

Bafetimbi Gomis collapsed while playing for Galatasaray against Kasimpasa in their Turkish Super Liga fixture on Sunday afternoon.

Incredibly, the medics who entered the field to attend to him cleared him to continue playing, despite the fact the seemed to lose consciousness.

The former Swansea striker has collapsed on the field of play before. Back in 2015, he suffered from a “vasovagal syncope”, whereby a trigger causes a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure, while playing for Swansea against Tottenham.

His manager at the time, Garry Monk, said “It [the vasovagal condition]  is something he has lived with his whole life”, and Gomis’ insistence that he wanted to carry on playing on both occasions suggests it’s not as dangerous as it seems.

However, it is still surprising that he was allowed to continue today and not taken off as a precaution.

In 2009, Gomis collapsed three times and was diagnosed with vasovagal syncope.

To the relief of Galatasaray fans and football fans worldwide, the striker has tweeted since, reassuring fans that he is ok.

Gomis has been firing on all cylinders for the Galatasaray this season; before today he had racked up 17 goals in 20 league appearances, keeping the Istanbul club in the running for a very fiercely contested league title.