Bafetimbi Gomis, who has a history of fainting, collapsed during Swansea’s game at Tottenham in the Premier League on Wednesday but his club later said the French international striker was “fine.”
The worrying incident occurred in the first half at White Hart Lane — after Tottenham scored in the seventh minute — but the 29-year-old left the pitch conscious following about five minutes of treatment. The Guardian added that he was wearing an oxygen mask.
Play was temporarily stopped before resuming.
As the match progressed, Swansea tweeted that Gomis was “fine,” with manager Garry Monk using the same word to describe Gomis’ condition.
“Bafe is fine,” Monk said in a televised interview on Sky after Swansea’s 3-2 loss. “Coming off the pitch he was fine.
“He just has a little bit of low blood pressure which causes you a little bit of problems. It’s more scary-looking wise than it is actually physically for him.”
Gomis had similar issues in France, which prompted the president of his former club, Jean-Michel Aulas of Lyon, to tell French television in 2009: “We can’t not be worried, it scares you each time.”
Swansea ran tests on Gomis, said Monk, prior to signing him on a free transfer last July.
“It’s been part of his life,” said Monk. “We were well aware of that when we signed him. He’s done all the hospital checks and all the medical checks you can possibly do and it’s just part of his life.
“It’s no problems whatsoever. It’s not as serious as it looks.”
Gomis has scored two league goals for Swansea this season, mostly in a backup role. He became the Welsh side’s top striker when Wilfried Bony signed with Manchester City in January.
Almost exactly three years ago at White Hart Lane, then Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was near death, according to Bolton, but survived after being treated at the London Chest Hospital.
He subsequently retired.
Other footballers, including Cameroon international Marc-Vivien Foe in 2003 and Spanish international Antonio Puerta in 2007, didn’t survive after collapsing on the pitch.