Sutton is wrong – Karius should be open about concussion

WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND - APRIL 21: Loris Karius of Liverpool looks dejected after conceeding during the Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool at The Hawthorns on April 21, 2018 in West Bromwich, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND - APRIL 21: Loris Karius of Liverpool looks dejected after conceeding during the Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool at The Hawthorns on April 21, 2018 in West Bromwich, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /
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Pundit Chris Sutton is wrong about Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius, who has a duty to be open about his concussion.

The BBC man and former Blackburn Rovers hotshot striker criticised Karius for sharing the results of a medical examination that he had done in the United States, which concluded that the German stopper had suffered from a blow to the head during the Champions League final.

In an article on the national broadcasters website, Sutton commented: “I don’t really see the point in coming out and saying this as people will inevitably say he is making an excuse, which it may well be. I think it should have been kept under wraps.”

But that’s a disturbing mentality and reflects the old-boy style of thinking, in which any weakness is passed off as an excuse and a reason to criticize.

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The fact of the matter is that Karius was suffering from a serious blow to the head, which medically impacted his ability to make decisions – which lead to at least one Madrid goal.

It also should help to mitigate the abuse hurled at the German’s way but football fans, who should be ashamed of their actions. A head injury like the one sustained by Karius is still an injury. Has Sutton railed against Mohamed Salah using his arm as an excuse for coming off the pitch? Of course not.

And it’s this sort of attitude that makes concussion so dangerous: if you admit to it, you’re weak. If you come off because of it, you’re weak. If you perform poorly because of it, you’re weak. Weak, weak, weak.

In fact, it takes a show of strength to admit to something like this. Never mind an excuse, this is a call to arms. Concussion is serious, it changes people and it changes lives.

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Dinosaurs like Sutton are wrong, and Karius should be commended for speaking out against it.