Credit: Twitter
In a tragic turn of events, a 58-year-old Newcastle United fan was stabbed in Milan ahead of the Magpies Champions League fixture against AC Milan. The incident occurred on Monday night, September 18, near the Navigli district of the city and the supporter was admitted to hospital after the stabbing.
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Local reports claim that the 58-year-old fan was with a friend when the pair were ambushed by a group of ' seven or eight' people. In the attack, the fan was struck in the back with a weapon. Immediately after the incident, the Newcastle fan was taken to hospital and emergency services were called. The report by Milan Today states that no belongings were stolen during the attack, suggesting the attack wasn't related to a robbery.
Later Sky Sports' Keith Downie talked to the fan's daughter, who confirmed that her father was stable but was disappointed to miss the game. The daughter said, “My dad is stable but in shock. He is gutted he's missing the match but just wants every other Newcastle fan out there to be aware of this and be safe. He just had two knee replacements so he fell when he was being chased and that is when he was attacked. I'm flying out there.”
Newcastle United were also made aware of the incident and released a statement wishing the fan a speedy recovery. Addressing the incident, a club spokesperson said, “We are deeply concerned by reports that a supporter was seriously assaulted in Milan on Monday evening and we are liaising with local authorities to understand the circumstances. Our thoughts are with the supporter and their family and we hope for a full and speedy recovery.”
