Paris SG Spanish goalkeeper Sergio Rico said he was “very lucky” on Sunday to be alive after being plunged into a coma at the end of May following a serious riding accident. “I feel very lucky,” the 29-year-old wrote on his Instagram account. “I am continuing my recovery, my condition is improving day by day. I want to thank all those who show me their love and support in these difficult times. I hope to be able to see you again soon,” he added.
The goalkeeper had been taken to Virgen del Rocio Hospital in Seville on May 28 after suffering a traumatic brain injury following a riding accident during the El Rocio pilgrimage in Andalusia. He had been placed under sedation and life support before emerging from a coma on June 19. His wife, Alba Silva, explained at the end of June that the player could now communicate with his relatives.
Sergio Rico joined PSG in the 2019-2020 season. Held out by N.1 goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma last season, he had not played a single game before his accident. He had received many tributes, including that of the public at the Parc des Princes, who had chanted his name throughout the last match of the season for PSG against Clermont in early June.