Man arrested for attacking former Arsenal player makes surprising statement
The man arrested for attacking former Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira has shared a strange explanation, saying his motive was “hatred.” Torreira said he was punched in the head during the incident, which was caught on camera outside a five-star hotel in Istanbul, where he had been playing tennis with friends.
After the attack on Tuesday, Torreira explained that a man approached him after he took a photo and then hit him on the side of the head. “I had never seen him before,” said the Uruguayan player, who has been with Galatasaray in Istanbul since leaving Arsenal in 2022.
It seems Torreira didn’t suffer any serious injuries, but the 30-year-old confirmed he plans to sue the attacker.
Turkish news site Bosuna Tiklama reported that the attacker admitted his actions, revealing a sad story. He said, “I had feelings for a woman who didn’t feel the same way and had even gotten a restraining order against me. I never broke the order, but I started to feel hatred toward Torreira after seeing photos of her with him on Instagram a year ago.
“I posted about Torreira on Twitter because of this hatred. Yesterday, I found out from Torreira’s family’s Instagram post that they were at the Rixos Hotel, so I went there in a taxi, hoping to hurt him. When I saw Torreira, I punched him once in the face.”
Torreira played 63 Premier League games and was loaned to Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina while at Arsenal. He signed a four-year contract with Galatasaray in 2022, which was later extended until 2028.
The Uruguay international, who has 40 caps, has made at least 30 league appearances each season during his four years in the Turkish league and has won the title four times in a row with Galatasaray. He also won the Spanish league while on loan at Atletico Madrid.