FIFA may stiffen concussion rules after Amrabat breach

FIFA will consider overhauling its concussion guidelines after the World Cup to punish teams who put lives at risk.

The decision comes after Morocco’s Nordin Amrabat played against Portugal five days after sustaining a head injury against Iran.

Amrabat suffered memory loss and spent a night in hospital, yet Morocco ignored FIFA protocols which state players who suffer blows to the head cannot turn out again for at least six days. The Watford winger started against Portugal wearing a scrum cap (below) but discarded it after just 16 minutes.

Michel d’Hooghe, head of FIFA’s medical committee, said it was time to consider tightening the rules so that sanctions could be imposed.

‘When I saw what happened, I was not just surprised but disappointed and very angry,’ d’Hooghe told The Mail on Sunday. ‘All the team doctors know very well what should happen, but Morocco’s behaviour was in defiance of our guidelines.’ D’Hooghe added: ‘I have already made arrangements to sit down with my medical collaborators after the World Cup. ‘We thought that with these guidelines we had enough power, but it seems now that this is not the case.’

D’Hooghe said it was premature to suggest team doctors could be banned and refused to specify what penalties might be imposed.

‘Perhaps we need to go one step further and impose sanctions if the guidelines are not followed,’ he said.

‘I am convinced that the majority of team doctors take this very seriously, but now we face a new problem thanks to the Moroccan medical delegation.’