Former Manchester United winger Karel Poborsky, who fought for his life due to a brain infection with an unknown cause, recently turned 52 last Saturday (30/03/1972). The former Czech Republic international, who played for Manchester United from 1996 to 1998 and won one Premier League title, disclosed the harrowing ordeal in a recent interview with The Guardian.
Poborsky recounted a terrifying incident in 2016 when he was at risk of death. He was rushed to the emergency room in a coma, and doctors diagnosed him with a brain infection. However, due to the delayed hospitalization, the exact cause of the infection couldn’t be determined.
According to medical professionals, had Poborsky arrived at the hospital just one day later, the former Manchester United player would have had no chance of survival. “If I had arrived at the hospital one day later, this interview would not be taking place,” Poborsky stated in The Guardian.
Upon awakening from the coma, Poborsky found himself completely paralyzed on one side of his face. He had to wear a facial mask following surgery in 2016. “After regaining consciousness, I was asked my name and the year. My entire face was paralyzed due to the brain infection. I spent three weeks in the hospital, receiving strong intravenous antibiotics. I couldn’t eat, had to shield my eyes from light sensitivity, and was extremely frightened,” he said.
Although the exact cause of Poborsky’s brain infection remains unknown, doctors hypothesized that a parasite in his beard could have been the source of the illness.
Poborsky, who earned 118 caps for the Czech Republic national team and was a standout performer at EURO 1996, where the Czech Republic reached the final, played for Manchester United for two seasons, featuring in 48 matches and scoring 6 goals.