Football manager calls for rule change on head injuries
Denmark manager Andrée Jeglertz has urged referees to stop play immediately when players suffer head injuries, following a controversial incident in his team’s Euro 2025 defeat to Germany.
Jeglertz questioned referee Catarina Campos’s decision to allow play to continue after Denmark midfielder Emma Snerle was struck in the face by the ball and remained on the ground.
Germany’s Lea Schüller scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 56th minute while Snerle was still down. She was later substituted. Germany then controlled the remainder of the match to secure the win.
Jeglertz said: “That is a situation for which we need to make the rules clear because if you have a player that gets a serious head injury, my view is that you need to blow the whistle.
“You need to take responsibility, you need to do something as a referee. I don’t understand why she doesn’t stop the game in that situation.”
Jeglertz said this was not the only head injury incident during the match and raised concerns about the consistency of decision-making.
“We have the same situation in the first half – not exactly the same situation but we have another player that is down with a head injury and she didn’t stop the play at that time either. I question those decisions.”
According to the International Football Association Board (IFAB), referees are expected to prioritise player safety and assist medical personnel, particularly in cases of suspected concussion or other serious head injuries.
Concussion is a form of traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head, which can temporarily impair brain function.
Concerns about head injury protocols in football have been growing across the professional game.
The incident took place during Denmark’s 2-1 loss to Germany, a result that confirmed their elimination from the tournament following Sweden’s 3-0 win over Poland.
Denmark will face Poland in their final group match on Saturday in Lucerne.
Jeglertz, a former manager of Umeå and the Finnish national team, is set to take charge of English Women’s Super League side Manchester City after the tournament.
