The rehabilitation journey continues for Tahirys Dos Santos, slowly but surely, with a return to the field that must be a breath of fresh air.
Tahirys Dos Santos set foot on the training grounds of the FC Metz academy, dressed in gear. He posted a photo to that effect, which is obviously a symbolic and important step for this 19-year-old footballer who was seriously burned in the fire at the Constellation bar in Crans-Montana on New Year’s Eve. At the time of the incident, he had returned to the establishment to save his partner Coline. The two lovers were seen together for the first time at the hospital more than a month after the tragic event, early February for our colleagues at Paris Match.
Dos Santos: “Use hands well, walk well. We’ll see what happens next”
“When I saw her, it was like a weight had been lifted off me,” he explained. “It all happened very quickly, I didn’t really think. I went to get her and we ran down the stairs (…) I think that I’m alive, that’s the most important thing. The physical aspect comes afterwards. The most important thing is that I recover well. Using hands well, walking well. We’ll see what happens next.” Burned 30%, he saved Coline’s life, who is three years younger (and also burned 30%) and had to go through three weeks of a coma and three surgeries.
Tahirys Dos Santos was first treated in Germany (in Stuttgart) before being repatriated to Metz. Invited to the stands of PSG – Metz at the end of February (3-0), by the two presidents Nasser al-Khelaifi and Bernard Serin, he then kicked off Metz – Brest at Saint-Symphorien the following week (Sunday, March 1) with Coline and Eliot Thelen, another friend affected by the fire. At the end of February, he was also applauded by the FC Metz first team locker room and received a jersey from the experienced Maxime Colin: “We are happy to welcome you among us, we show our support and we can’t wait for you to come train with us!” A great challenge.
