Spanish defender Pablo Mari, contractually linked to Arsenal and on loan at Monza, was stabbed in a shopping center in Milan, RAI reported.
The attack took place at 6:30pm (5:30pm in Lisbon) when the suspect took a knife from a supermarket shelf inside a shopping center and began stabbing people there.
The 29-year-old, who took Jorge Jesus to Flamenco, was one of five people attacked by the 45-year-old, three of whom were airlifted to hospital and remain in a critical condition. On the social network Facebook, the head of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, said that a young supermarket worker had died.
Monza vice-president Adriano Galliani insisted Mari told him he was lucky to see a man die in front of him after suffering a back injury. Galliani explained that the Valencian defender suffered “a very deep cut on his back” but was “not in danger” as he did not reach vital organs but required several stitches.
The manager added that the defender was “clear” and joked that he would “play on Monday”.
The assailant, who suffered from mental disorders, was initially restrained by a few people and later restrained by the police and eventually arrested.
The supermarket chain Carrefour expressed its “deepest solidarity with the employees and customers and their families affected by the attack” in a statement. The company implemented a “psychological support service for all employees directly or indirectly involved in the incident”.
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