Christoph Kramer's summer in 2014 should have been memorable, but he does not remember its apogee. Having only made his international debut in a friendly prior to the World Cup, he ended up starting the final in place of the injured Sami Khedira.
Kramer, however, left the field before halftime having been knocked out cold in an accidental collision with Ezequiel Garay:
Incredibly, he was permitted to play on for fourteen minutes, in spite of asking the referee 'Is this the final?' shortly after sustaining the blow. After the game, Kramer admitted that he has no recollection of the first half, or of going to the dressing room. The incident drew criticism as to how football handles head injuries and concussion.
Ever since, Kramer has sustained a number of head injuries, and further to the idea that they are not taking it particularly seriously, the Bundesliga have cut together a video compilation of a series of shuddering head injuries...and called it The Headache Hero in celebration of his bravery in carrying on.
Watch it below.
