Arsenal defender Pablo Marí opens up about Italy stabbing
Spanish footballer Pablo Marí – who is on loan from Premier League club Arsenal – has said he was “lucky” despite being stabbed in a supermarket near Milan.
Local media reports that one person, a cashier at the supermarket was killed and at least five others injured – some of which are seriously injured.
The footballer is preparing to undergo surgery on his back muscles that have been injured due to the stabbing.
Local media reports a man started attacking people in Assago, and he was detained by customers before the police arrived – they have the 46-year-old suspect in custody. The police have ruled out terrorism and suspect mental health issues.
“Today I was lucky, because I saw a person die in front of me,”
Marí, on loan at Monza, told Italian media
Newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport said Marí, 29, had been walking around the supermarket with his wife and son when he was stabbed in the back.
Italian outlet Corriere della Sera reported that former Napoli player Massimo Tarantino was among those who immobilised and disarmed the attacker before police arrived.
“I’m not a hero. I didn’t do anything special,” 51-year-old Tarantino is quoted by the paper as saying.
The Arsenal defender’s injuries are not life-threatening and the player was conscious and no vital organs had been affected, his agent told the BBC.
“Pablo is an amazing guy,” said Monza president Adriano Galliani, who visited Marí along with the Serie A side’s head coach Raffaele Palladino, told Gazzetta.
“He had the strength to joke and tell me that he will be back in training on Monday. I brought him greetings from [club president Silvio] Berlusconi and everyone else.
“His team-mates wanted to come here but obviously it was not possible.”
Marí joined London club Arsenal from Brazilian side Flamengo in January 2020 and then was loaned to Udinese at the start of the year.
He was then loaned to the newly promoted Monza in August. Speaking after Arsenal lost to PSV on Thursday, boss Mikel Arteta said: “I just found out. I know Edu [Arsenal technical director] has been in touch with [Marí’s] relatives. He’s in hospital but he seems to be okay.”