This past footballing weekend, it was the turn of the medical men to take centre stage.
The first physio’s cameo took place during Germany’s comfortable3-0 win over Austria, which saw them move a step closer towards qualification for next year’s World Cup in Brazil.
During the game, Germany’s 60-year-old physiotherapist Klaus Eder, who has been tending to the team’s twinges and knacks for the past 25 years, needed medical attention himself.
He pulled a hamstring when running onto the field to tend to an injury to Marcel Schmelzer, and in doing so, also broke a finger.
He needed to be helped off the field by his own players, and said after the game: "I now have to put into practice what I always tell my patients.
"Patience is important and you should not expect a lot of progress too soon.
"The way the players reacted was very comforting. Philipp Lahm brought me the ice pack, Mesut Ozil and Miroslav Klose held me and led me off the field."
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in Brazil, an incident took place referred to as "one of the most shameful episodes in the history of Brazilian football" by club Tupi.
During their fourth division match against Aparecidense, the opposition team’s masseur ran onto the field and made not one, but three goalmouth saves, to deny them a last-minute winner before fleeing the scene of his crime!
The final result meant Tupi were relegated, and they now say they will seek legal action after the masseur illegally affected the course of the game.
The offending physio- Romildo Fonseca da Silva- was unapologetic however.
"It was our only chance. If I hadn't done it, Aparecidense would have been knocked out," he said according to the Brazilian media.
"I don't regret it because I did it out of love for the club."
Watch: Brazilian masseur makes amazing triple save before hot footing it out of the stadium!
