Danny da Costa’s Toilet Break Shock: Mainz Defender Leaves Pitch Mid-Match

What happened

During Mainz’s 2‑0 victory over Sigma Olomouc in the UEFA Conference League round of 16, defender Danny da Costa abruptly left the field in the 85th minute, even though he had not been substituted.

The reason

After the match, the 32‑year‑old explained that he felt an urgent need to use the bathroom and, after failing to convince coach Urs Fischer to take him off, decided to sprint to the tunnel himself.

“I tried to tell the manager that I really needed to come off. Because I realised I had to go to the loo straight away. But the manager didn’t quite get it, so I had to take the initiative myself,” da Costa said.

Coach’s reaction

Fischer eventually noticed da Costa’s dash, brought on Kacper Potulski to avoid finishing with ten men, and later recalled the incident with amusement.

“I only realised what was happening when he sprinted past me. At first I didn’t know what was going on. But he was probably already having cramps… It was a bit funny, partly because he wanted to go back onto the pitch when he came back from the toilet. But by then we’d already made the substitution,” Fischer laughed.

A rare moment in 16 years

The veteran defender added that, despite 16 years of professional football, he had “never seen anything like this before – it’s absolutely mad.”