Soccer star released from hospital after ball to chest nearly kills him

A top Israeli soccer player who nearly died on the pitch after a freak accident was released from the hospital Sunday, but doctors warned that his heart has yet to make a full recovery from the incident that almost killed him.

Hapoel Beersheba captain Elyaniv Barda was hospitalized at Soroka Medical Center after being hit in the chest with a fast-moving soccer ball that knocked his heart out of synchronization Tuesday during a training session.

After being knocked to the ground and passing out, Barda was kept alive by the team’s massage therapist Dimitri Traschinko, who administered artificial respiration and cardiac massage until a Magen David Adom ambulance crew arrived.

The paramedics, who by chance were very close to the training ground when they received the emergency call, were able to resuscitate Barda, 35, only after administering four electric shocks to restart his heart.

He was released Sunday morning. Dr. Doron Zager, chief of cardiology at Soroka, said the soccer player was doing well but still need more time to recover.

“All in all, his condition is good and improving,” Zager said in statement issued by the hospital. “With that, his heart has yet to demonstrate a complete recovery. There needs to be additional followup in the coming weeks. At this stage the medical recommendation is to not return to play in the coming weeks.”

Barda issued a statement thanking the hospital staff, paramedics, trainers and the team and its fans.

“At this stage I will go home and mostly I will rest,” he said.

מתמסר עם רופאיו pic.twitter.com/2fJxF65VlC

— Nave Segal (@Navesegal) November 7, 2017