An amateur football match in Turkey was brought to a stop after the ball struck a seagull flying overhead, seeing it crash to the ground, before being resuscitated by a team captain and brought back to consciousness.
We expect most football matches to have a bit of added time due to injuries, but rarely, if ever, is that extra time due to seagulls dropping from the sky.
In the Istanbul 1st Amateur League Play-Off Final played in Turkey, players and fans were left stunned as the game was paused in the 22nd minute after a freak accident involving a massive goal kick and a seagull.
Thankfully, the animal was saved, and one player in particular left the field a true hero.
How a seagull brought Turkish cup final to a standstill
The promotion-deciding match between Mevlanakapi Guzelhisar and Istanbul Yurdum Spor was plodding along as expected, until a lofty goal-kick from Istanbul goalkeeper Muhammet Uyanik struck something in the air.
No one realised that object was actually a seagull, until the white bird came crashing down to the ground and landed on the pitch.
Uyanik was the first to recognise what had happened and was left in a state of shock by the seagull laying before him. That’s when his captain, Gani Catan, intervened and saved the day.
Catan noticed the bird was not breathing and did not hesitate in delivering life-saving CPR. The player has no first-aid training, but instinctively did what he had to do to bring the seagull back to life. With two minutes of chest compressions, water, and help from the club’s medical staff, Catan succeeded.
On the incident, Catan said: “Something was rolling down. I realised it was a seagull. I was the first one to run to it. The first thing that came to my mind was CPR. Because it had immediately lifted its legs up, it couldn’t breathe. It had fainted, so I tried my luck.”
As per a report from Anadolu Agency, the seagull has since been taken to a proper veterinary facility for treatment, but is thought to have severely damaged its wing and was unable to fly.
Club captain becomes a hero despite missing out on promotion
While Uyanik, the goalkeeper who accidentally caused the injury, plans to visit the bird, it is Catan who has walked away a true hero.
Unfortunately, his team lost the game in the end, which means Istanbul Yurdum Spor will not be getting promoted this season. However, Catan doesn’t care as long as the seagull is healthy.
In the wake of the defeat, he said: “We missed out on the championship, but helping save a life is a good thing. This was more important than the championship.”
Lamborghini Urus Performante restyling, confermato l'ibrido plug-in?