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How Fabrice Muamba’s fight for life shone a light on football’s empathetic underbelly:

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We all love the beautiful game, don’t we? There’s nothing we love more than watching our team trounce our rivals. There’s nothing we enjoy more than travelling 80 miles on a Tuesday night to watch a 0-0 draw at a freezing cold Brunton Park. There’s also nothing we wouldn’t give to watch our team play at the highest level (unless you’re a fan of Man United of course). But sometimes, football doesn’t even matter. Sometimes, there are other things that are more important. Saturday afternoon at White Hart Lane was one of those occurrences.

Just before half time in Tottenham Hotspur’s FA Cup quarter-final tie with Bolton Wanderers, Fabrice Muamba collapsed to the turf, suffering a cardiac arrest. Medics rushed the pitch and tried for six minutes to resuscitate the midfielder as fellow players and supporters watched on, some in tears and some watching through their fingers, desperate for a positive outcome. Muamba was taken from the field and rushed to London Chest hospital where he was admitted into intensive care. Referee Howard Webb correctly abandoned the game with both sets of supporters chanting Muamba’s name as he left the field of play.

Thankfully, the 23-year old Congo-born player has since come round and it is looking likely that he will make a full recovery. He remains in intensive care but he is now speaking English and French, laughing with his team-mates and is breathing without the use of a respirator. Bolton manager Owen Coyle has said he has had ‘positive’ communication with the midfielder and it seems the footballing world can breathe a huge sigh of relief. Bolton’s midweek game against Aston Villa was postponed at the request of the Lancashire club and there was talk of Saturday’s relegation six-pointer with Blackburn Rovers also being withheld, however, Muamba’s family have requested that the game goes ahead.

In a game that is often overshadowed by greed, money and downright arrogance, the last five days have proven that the football world has a heart. Fans, players and managers throughout the game have come forward with their messages of support for the stricken midfielder in an incredible show of worldwide unity.

It seems that unfortunate incidents such as this one put everything into perspective and even for players who can be accused of having too much money to care, players who are happier with their own image and wealth, they have given football a new beating heart when it was badly in need of one with their overwhelming support for a fellow pro.

For Muamba, it remains to be seen whether he will play again. It’s also unknown as to the lasting effect that this terrible incident could have on him in his day-to-day life. Right now, he, his family and everyone who has a heart, everyone who cares about football (even people that don’t), can simply be thankful that the worst case scenario is well and truly avoided.

As the tributes flooded in and grounds up and down the country reverberated with minutes’ applauses and players adorned ‘Pray 4 Muamba’ T-shirts, we’re all reminded that, at times like this, football can provide incredible solidarity.

Get well soon, Fabrice.

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