Karitsas suffers a health scare

At the start of the second half, the German club reported that the player was "in good condition, given the circumstances," information that Dortmund's Croatian coach, Niko Kovač, relayed to his concerned players during the halftime break.

Borussia Dortmund's sporting director, Lars Ricken, explained after the match, "It was circulatory problems that appeared out of nowhere."

The player received first aid on the pitch for several minutes before leaving on a stretcher amidst applause from more than 80,000 spectators.

Dortmund's other sporting director, Ole Bock, added, "It happened very suddenly. He sat on the ground and was then taken to the hospital for further tests, and he is still there now. Obviously, this cast a significant shadow over the atmosphere."

Bock, who accompanied the player while he was being transported on the stretcher, explained that Karitsas was unable to speak immediately upon leaving the pitch. He added, "We naturally hope that his condition improves very quickly and that it is nothing serious."

The player was taken to the hospital shortly before 10:00 PM, accompanied by his mother, for in-depth medical examinations "to rule out any possibility in the end. We have to wait and see what the coming days will reveal," Ricken added.

Kovač said after the match, which his team won 3-2—a result that took second place in terms of importance—"At the end of last season, we received first aid training. I had watched some videos. When I saw the scene, I noticed some similarities."