The 30-year-old midfielder, Luan, who plays for Corinthians SC and won an Olympic gold medal with Brazil in 2016, was assaulted by a group of angry fans at a party he hosted at a hotel in Sao Paulo on Tuesday. While the midfielder shared a post-incident picture on social media, the club condemned the violent act against their star in a statement.
According to local media reports, Luan suffered minor injuries after he was dragged out of his room by some supporters who demanded he terminate his contract with the club immediately. Luan posted an image on his Instagram account showing his blood-stained shorts after the attack.
Watch the video here:
The incident came after Corinthians were eliminated from the Copa Libertadores group stage for the second time in its history and is struggling in the lower half of the Brazilian league table after 13 matches. Luan, who joined Corinthians in 2020 and was once regarded as one of the best players in South America, has been underperforming and has not played regularly for the past two seasons. He has scored just 11 goals and made five assists in 80 appearances for the club.
Luan also shared a picture on his Instagram handle that has over 1 million followers. In his Instagram story, Luan shared a picture where his blood can be seen on his shorts and captioned, "It's not just football."
Corinthians condemned the violence and expressed its regret through a social media post over the "current moment of intolerance that dominates Brazilian soccer". The club said it is offering all necessary support to the player and that nothing justifies the "cowardly aggression" he suffered.
Here is the exact statement: “Sport Club Corinthians Paulista received with sadness and indignation the information that the athlete Luan was attacked by supposed fans in the early hours of this Tuesday (04), in São Paulo.
The club follows the investigation of the facts and is offering all the necessary support to the player, as it has always done since his arrival in 2020.
After yet another disgusting case of violence, Corinthians regrets the current moment of intolerance that dominates Brazilian football. Nothing justifies the cowardly aggression suffered by the athlete.”
Luan has not made any public comments about the incident and has not filed a complaint with the local police. His contract with Corinthians is due to expire at the end of this season and many fans want him to leave.