Comeback Kid: Diego Buonanotte returns to football after fatal crash

Sometimes in football, the things that we think are desperately important – promotion, relegation, league titles, cups, tribalistic rivalries – are all snapped quickly and easily into perspective in an instant. 26th December 2009, when one of the most promising youngsters in world football was involved in a fatal car crash in Argentina, was one such instant.

Over the Christmas period, River Plate’s bright young star Diego Buonanotte was driving himself and three friends home after a night out in his hometown province of Santa Fe when, in poor conditions and torrential rain, he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree. His three friends all died at the scene.

Buonanotte survived, but went into intensive care with multiple injuries including a broken clavicle, humerus and a severely wounded lung. Although whether the Argentine youngster would ever play again wasn’t really considered in any great jeopardy (initial diagnosis was a seven month absence), the lasting impact of the accident on Buonanotte both physically and mentally was an issue. How long would he take to recover? Can he ever be the same player again? How will he recover from the grave psychological traumas that will no doubt torment him?

Well, this weekend we found out the answer to at least that first question. Remarkably, just four months. Just a few days short of his 22nd birthday, Diego Buonanotte made his return for River Plate as a substitute, coming on for 30 minutes in River’s 2-1 win over unlikely high-fliers Godoy Cruz, to a hero’s reception.

Buonanotte played fairly well considering his lengthy absence, helping his side come back from a goal down to win, and he nearly got himself on the scoresheet with his first few involvements in play. But physically it will still take time for El Enano (the dwarf) to recover, and the mental scars will be a long time in healing. The lingering pain told as much in his words after the match. When asked how he felt at returning to action he replied:

“Happy, I felt happy. Obviously you can’t be completely satisified because the accident was only a short while ago, but I only have words of praise for all the people of River and all those who helped me through these moments. Now I want to share the moment with my family, because they have supported me through everything. My happiness and my desire to carry on moving forward are for my friends who are no longer here. Everything I do is for them also.”

Diego Buonanotte broke into the River Plate first team at 17, a slight, skinny attacking midfielder who at 5 ft 2in (1.57m) completely defies the modern day theory that footballers must be hulking physical specimens. With a wonderful touch, good movement and an ability to conjure moments of magic from midfield, he soon became a fans’ favourite at River. A move to Europe has been touted for some time, with Atletico Madrid reportedly preparing a bid in the January transfer window just before his accident, but Buonanotte had suffered a dip in form prior to the tragic car crash in December and doubts lingered about his readiness for the switch to European football.

The challenge now for Buonanotte is to get back to the form that made him one of the game’s brightest young talents.

“Playing football is what I like best, it’s pretty much the only thing I can do well,” said the River playmaker after the Godoy Cruz match. “It makes me so happy to be on the pitch, it keeps my head busy so I have no time to dwell on things.”

Either way, its great just to see him back on the football field doing what he loves best.

(photo courtesy of Sebastian; on Flickr)

Argentina, Argentinian Football, Diego Buonanotte, River Plate