Goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann, the offspring of ex-Germany forward Jürgen Klinsmann, is in recovery from a fractured neck incurred while playing for the second-tier Italian team Cesena on Saturday.
He was taken off the pitch on a stretcher with a neck brace after colliding with a Palermo player and was transported to a hospital in the Sicilian capital.
The club announced in a statement that preliminary examinations indicated “a fracture to the first cervical vertebra” along with a laceration to the back of the head. He is scheduled for additional evaluations with a specialist neurosurgeon, the club noted.
The 29-year-old Klinsmann shared on Instagram that his season has concluded and expressed gratitude to Cesena and Palermo supporters “for the warm wishes,” as well as to “friends and family who have been there for me during the past few days.”
Born in Munich while his father was with Bayern, Klinsmann had a brief stint with the LA Galaxy in MLS and has represented the United States at the youth level.
He joined Cesena, located in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, two years ago and has made over 50 appearances. The Serie B club is managed by former Arsenal, Chelsea, and England defender Ashley Cole.
