Coritiba defender Jacy fell into an open dressing room tunnel while celebrating a goal during a match against Chapecoense on Saturday. The 29-year-old was later substituted after the goal he was celebrating was overturned by VAR.
Jacy's plunge into the Couto Pereira tunnel
Coritiba defender Jacy experienced a frightening fall during a match against Chapecoense on Saturday. While celebrating a goal he believed put his team up 2-0, Jacy jumped over advertising hoardings and fell directly into a tunnel leading to the dressing rooms. According to the report, the tunnel had been uncovered in preparation for the halftime break, leaving a dangerous hole in the celebration area.
The incident prompted an immediate reaction from the sidelines, with a security guard seen sprinting down the stairs to assist the defender. Anxious Coritiba team-mates also peered over the hoardings to check on Jacy, who appeared to emerge from the hole unscathed initially .
The VAR decision that erased Jacy's celebration
The physical shock of the fall was compounded by a technical ruling from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). As the report says, Jacy's goal was ultimately ruled out for offside, meaning the defender had risked his safety for a score that did not count. This left the player with the double frustration of a physical accident and a disallowed goal.
Although Jacy briefly returned to the pitch after receiving medical attention from Coritiba's staff, he was forced to be substituted just two minutes into the second half.. The defender continued to feel the after-effects of the plunge, preventing him from completing the match, which Coritiba eventually won 2-1.
A repeat of Joel's 2014 tunnel fall
This incident is not an isolated event at the Couto Pereira stadium, echoing a similar mishap from a decade ago. In 2014,a Coritiba striker named Joel fell down the same open tunnel while celebrating one of his two goals in a match against Sao Paulo. This pattern suggests a recurring structural risk for players who celebrate near the hoardings at this specific venue.
Remarkably, the same security guard who assisted Joel in 2014 was the one on hand to provide Jacy with assistance this past Saturday. The presence of the same staff member across two identical accidents ten years apart highlights a systemic failure to address the stadium's hazardous layout .
Max Alves' ICU admission and rib fractures
While Jacy's fall was bizarre, the match between Coritiba and Chapecoense featured a more critical medical emergency involving Chapecoense midfielder Max Alves. Alves was transported to intensive care after a violent collision with a teammate on the pitch,an incident far more severe than the tunnel fall.
The player required surgery for the insertion of a chest drain and was diagnosed with multiple rib fractures. While Jacy returned to the pitch briefly,the injury to Max Alves represents the most serious medical outcome of the Saturday fixture.
The failure of Couto Pereira's tunnel covers
The recurring nature of these falls raises a specific question regarding the management of the Couto Pereira stadium: why is the dressing room tunnel uncovered while players are still active on the pitch? The source does not provide a statement from Coritiba's stadium operations team or the league regarding why the 2014 incident with Joel did not lead to a permanent safety redesign.
It remains unclear if the tunnel is uncovered manually by staff or if there is a systemic timing error in the stadium's halftime preparations. Without a clear explanation or a change in protocol,the area remains a liability for any player who chooses to celebrate their success with a leap over the hoardings.
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