Liverpool Apologizes for Gruesome Injury Broadcast
LFCTV were forced to apologise live on air after accidentally broadcasting a gruesome injury suffered by Como defender Alberto Dossena during a pre-season friendly against Liverpool on Sunday.
The Italian side, coached by Cesc Fabregas, faced Liverpool twice in one day. One Reds XI took on the newly promoted Champions League outfit behind closed doors at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby, before a more senior team lined up at Anfield later in front of supporters.
Horror moment in behind-closed-doors clash
The first game, shortened to 70 minutes, ended in a goalless stalemate and was largely uneventful in front of goal. Alexis Mac Allister, Federico Chiesa, Kostas Tsimikas and Victor Munoz all started for Liverpool, giving the run-out a strong spine despite the low-key setting.
The match’s defining moment came in a flash – and turned the stomachs of anyone watching.
Challenging for an aerial ball with James McConnell and Will Wright, Dossena landed awkwardly on his hand. He stayed down, clearly in pain. Cameras then cut to a close-up that revealed the damage: a dislocated finger, bent at an alarming angle.
Lead LFCTV commentator John Bradley reacted instantly. "That's a nasty landing. We might need a little stoppage here to get the medical team on. Well yes there you go, he's dislocated his finger," he said, as replays showed the incident.
Co-commentator Natashia Dowie didn’t sugar-coat it either. "Woah that's not nice," she added.
The pictures were graphic enough for the channel to row back on the coverage. Presenter Steve Hunter stepped in with an on-air apology to viewers who had just been confronted with the close-up.
"Apologies if you are just trying to have your lunch or if you're in, who knows, San Diego having a very early breakfast," he said. "Sometimes you just see things that make you squirm."
Play was halted briefly while Dossena received treatment on the pitch. Remarkably, the 27-year-old centre-back had his finger bandaged and carried on, seeing out the remaining six minutes.
The contest itself never really caught fire in the final third, but Liverpool still found positives. Summer signing Munoz was bright and direct, while young midfielder Trey Nyoni again caught the eye with his composure and movement between the lines.
Stronger Liverpool XI steps up for Anfield test
The second match of the day brought a different feel. Andoni Iraola rolled out a stronger starting XI at Anfield, using the fixture as a sharper tune-up as the Premier League opener looms.
New signing Jeremy Jacquet was handed his first minutes of pre-season, lining up alongside captain Virgil van Dijk at the heart of defence. Recent loan arrival Ronald Araujo was named among the substitutes, joined on the bench by Lewis Koumas, Munoz, Nyoni, Wright and Mor Talla Ndiaye, all of whom had already featured in the earlier game.
For Iraola, the Como double-header formed part of a broader pre-season plan. Speaking before the friendlies, the Liverpool manager had underlined how crucial this phase is as he tries to stamp his identity on the squad.
"This will be a very good, and very important, test for us as we finalise our preparations for the new Premier League season," he said, reflecting on the schedule and the need to build rhythm.
He pointed back to the previous weekend’s meeting with Monaco as a key reference point.
"Despite the result, last weekend's game against Monaco brought plenty of positives and plenty of learnings for myself and my staff.
"The first half, and the first 30 minutes in particular, was very pleasing. It was good to see Alexander Isak getting on the scoresheet and looking sharp, and I saw a lot of good things both with and without the ball."
The issue, as he sees it, is not the quality of the football in bursts, but the ability to maintain it.
"The problem we had, as we had against Leeds in Chicago, was that we were not able to sustain our levels and that is something that can only happen with time, and with a lot of hard work on the training ground."
"I have spoken many times about the type of team I want to see on the pitch, about the intensity, the intent and the energy we are looking for, and while it is clear that there is still a lot of improvement to come, I believe that we are moving in the right direction and I expect that to continue in the coming days and weeks as the season gets under way."
One boost for the Basque coach is the return of his full squad after international duty.
"With Alexis Mac Allister having returned to the AXA Training Centre on Monday, we now have all of our players back after the World Cup, which is of course hugely beneficial.
"There is no doubt in my mind about the quality and the potential we have within our squad, and now it is up to us to show that on a consistent basis going forward."
The sight of Dossena playing on through a dislocated finger summed up the edge of these so-called friendlies. For Liverpool, the real question now is whether that same resilience and intensity will carry into the first whistle of the Premier League season.
