Arsenal Defender Stabbed In Italy

Arsenal defender, Pablo Mari, was one of five people involved in a mass stabbing by a man with mental problems in a shopping center in Assago, just outside Milan, Italy.

The 29-year-old was shopping with his family when he was punched in the face before he was stabbed in the back, at the Assago shopping centre.

Reports say the attacker has had mental health problems and had grabbed the weapon from the supermarket shelves.

The man started stabbing people at random at about 18:30 local time (16:30 GMT) at a Carrefour in a local shopping centre.

Screams were reportedly heard inside the centre, as terrified visitors tried to flee in panic.

The attacker is reported to have been detained by several customers and handed over to police who arrived at the scene.

Monza CEO Adriano Galliani told Sky Italy that Mari had been shopping with his wife and young son when the attack took place.

“He had his son in a trolley and his wife next to him. He didn’t notice anything. He then felt something painful in his back, which was the criminal’s knife,” Mr Galliani said.

“Unfortunately, he also saw the criminal stab someone in the throat. He saw everything that happened and it was deeply disturbing,” Galliani added.

While the executive said the defender had suffered a “fairly deep wound on his back”, he said his life was not in danger and that he “should recover quickly”.

Mari joined Arsenal from Brazilian side Flamengo in January 2020. He has only played 19 times for the Gunners and is currently on loan with top flight Italian club Monza.

Source: Skysports