Four more clubs have committed to fair promotion rules for the 3rd division. Schalke sporting director Frank Baumann Bonicelli revived and then sedated again: he has edema in his spinal cord. But hope is growing

Lorenzo remains in intensive care. No neurological damage has been detected and he is breathing on his own. His parents and team are with him.

Hope and silence reign in the meantime. Lorenzo Bonicelli, the 23-year-old Italian national gymnast who fell badly while dismounting from the rings during the artistic gymnastics competition at the Summer Universiade in Essen, Germany, remains in intensive care but is not in critical condition. The Italian athlete, who underwent surgery on his cervical vertebrae on Wednesday, is with his parents, the president and coach of his club – Ghislazioni Gal in Lecco – and his teammates, who did not want to return to Italy. Not many other details are filtering through from the German hospital, as is understandable while waiting for the first MRI scan to check the effectiveness of the operation, although the Consul General in Cologne, Luis Cavalieri, has said that Lorenzo “opened his eyes yesterday because the doctors temporarily brought him out of the induced coma to see if there was any irreparable neurological damage, which fortunately does not appear to be the case. However, there is extensive edema that has formed on the spinal cord and must be reabsorbed,” he added. Hope remains clinging to the testimony of those who were present at the sports facility at the time of the accident, namely that Bonicelli never lost consciousness after the fall, so much so that the doctors were able to explain the operation to him before sedating him. Others claim to have seen him move his arms despite the harness with which he was immobilized for transport to the hospital. We need to have faith.
Lorenzo is in excellent hands, as was clear from the moment of the accident, when the Italian was rescued and then operated on with the utmost speed. Neurosurgeons stabilized his spine by applying plates and screws to the fractured fifth cervical vertebra: the entire operation took less than two hours. A second operation may also be necessary, this time from behind to stabilize the area completely. In the meantime, Bonicelli’s recovery continues and he was extubated on Wednesday night and is now breathing on his own. As soon as possible, he will return to Italy and will be taken into the care of a rehabilitation facility, probably near his home in Lecco.

Dynamics—  “Lorenzo is in a moment of absolute apprehension,” said his father, who is expected to return to Italy tomorrow. His mother remains by his side. The hope is that he will quickly forget Wednesday’s fall as he was exiting the rings exercise. The triple somersault, which he had practiced hundreds of times, starts from a height of over three meters and, probably due to a problem with his knee grip, he lost his balance during the second and a half rotation, falling headfirst onto the mat. This is not the first injury of his career. In early 2019, he fractured his femur, but with great determination, he returned to the platform.
Affection—  “If there is a fighter, it is our Lorenzino,” said coach Alberto Busnari, hugging him virtually. “This morning (yesterday, ed.) there was a surreal atmosphere at the Academy with his teammates. Everyone knows that he is one of the best guys in the team, a team player who never says a word out of place. He is to be admired.” The hug posted in a story by freestyle world champion Nicola Bartolini was very moving. Meanwhile, federal president Andrea Facci has decided to travel to Essen, so as not to leave the boy and his family in the lurch. He may be followed by the president of the medical commission, Andrea Ferretti, after the emergency was initially handled by Dr. Filippo Ferrari (FederCusi). “Lorenzo is a person who infects you with his zest for life,” said Ghislanzoni Gal president Paolo Gilardoni. “We can’t wait to hug him again.” There are now 40 clubs that have committed to fair promotion rules from the Regionalliga to the 3. Liga. Two second division clubs are new additions: FC Schalke and 1. FC Magdeburg are joining the alliance, along with third division promoted club 1 FC Schweinfurt and TSV Schwaben Augsburg.

Frank Baumann, sporting director at FC Schalke 04, explains the club’s commitment to the reform movement: “We firmly believe that sporting success must also be rewarded with deserved promotion. A championship title in the Regionalliga should automatically mean promotion to the 3rd division. Anything else undermines the integrity of the competition and hinders the long-term development of sporting prospects.”

A championship title in the Regionalliga should automatically mean promotion to the 3rd division. Anything else undermines the integrity of the competition and hinders the long-term development of sporting prospects.

Frank Baumann

The movement was founded on February 12, 2025, in Chemnitz and sees itself as a cross-club alliance for more fairness, planning security, and sporting justice in the German league system. The aim is to fundamentally reform the current promotion rules. While currently only three of the five regional league champions are allowed to be promoted directly to the 3rd league, two title holders from the north, northeast, or Bavaria must compete against each other in a relegation match—a format that deprives at least one champion of their deserved promotion every year.

“The initiative can count on the support of 1. FC Magdeburg,”

Otmar Schork, sporting director of 1. FC Magdeburg, explains his club’s decision to join the initiative: “We are joining the initiative with the aim of finally changing the promotion rules to the 3. Liga. We are calling for a reform that creates genuine equality of opportunity for all regional leagues and guarantees that all champions will be promoted directly in future – regardless of the final league structure. We want to take responsibility, push ahead with structural reform and actively work towards a sensible solution. The initiative can count on the support of 1. FC Magdeburg with immediate effect.”