Bundesliga star thanks quick-thinking referee for saving his life after collision

MAINZ star Josuha Guilavogui thanked referee Patrick Ittrich for potentially saving his life after a horror collision on the pitch.

Guilavogui collided with his head on teammate Anthony Caci’s knee during Saturday’s match against Bayern Munich.

The Frenchman remained motionless on the ground and appeared unconscious before Ittrich arrived and placed him in the recovery position.

The quick-thinking official Ittrich then adjusted his tongue so he could breathe again.

The incident took place after half an hour and Guilavogui was replaced by Edimilson Fernandes five minutes later.

And he expressed his gratitude to referee Ittrich on social media after the match.

He posted on X: “Thank you very much for the quick intervention and help provided, Patrick Ittrich, my teammates and the doctors in Mainz!”

Ittrich said: “You just have to act quickly, there is no praise for that.”

The match finished 8–1 to Mainz, with Harry Kane scoring three, but due to Bundesliga rules this did not count as a hat-trick.

For a ‘real hat-trick’ in German football you need to score three goals in the same half, all consecutively, without anyone else shooting in between.

With Kane scoring Bayern’s first, third and seventh, it unfortunately counts despite him taking the match ball home.

He posted after the match: “Perfect afternoon! Gotta keep this momentum going.”

The emphatic result brings the Bavarian players within seven points of leader Bayer Leverkusen.

And England captain Kane improved his sensational season tally to 36 goals in 34 games.

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