The 1982 World Cup controversy
Schumacher's collision with Battiston
Harald Schumacher collided with French substitute defender Patrick Battiston in the 1982 World Cup semifinals. As the two sides battled each other for a long ball, Battiston grabbed the point before Schumacher and kicked the ball towards Schumacher's left post in the goal. Schumacher jumped and threw his hands in the air as if trying to stop the ball, even though it was already behind him. He eventually lunged at Battiston, knocking him down with his hip and touching his shoulder to his chin. After being hit, Battiston fell to the ground on his back, unable to move, and suffered two broken teeth and damage to his vertebrae, for which he received an oxygen infusion on the spot. Afterward, Platini said he thought Battiston was dead because he had no pulse and was pale. The referee, Dutchman Charles Kowal, gave Germany a goal kick because he thought the ball had gone out of bounds when Battiston was hit. After extra time, the score was 3-3, and in the end, Germany won on penalties, but Germany ended up missing out on the title in the final against Italy, another Western European powerhouse. After the match, the BBC described the decision as "the worst in the world".
After Germany met France again in the 1986 World Cup, Battiston said he had forgotten and forgiven that collision. But he said he would not dare to come close to Schumacher again and that he would keep a distance of more than 40 meters from him. Schumacher has not commented on this.
In 1987, Harald Schumacher published his autobiography Opening Whistle which included Schumacher's views on the collision with Battiston, and in the book, he insisted that there was no foul play in his act of hitting Battiston and that he was simply trying to get that ball.
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