Lamine Yamal’s father has given his first interview since he was the victim of a brutal stabbing in his hometown of Mataró.
Mounir Nasraoui, 35, was rushed to hospital after being attacked in northern Barcelona on Wednesday afternoon.
He is believed to have been involved in an argument with local people while walking his dog, before a fight broke out later that day and Nasraoui suffered multiple stab wounds, according to La Vanguardia.
Spanish police have since arrested three people on attempted murder charges and confirmed that a fourth has since been detained.
Nasraoui spoke to Spanish TV show El Chiringuito from his hospital bed and opened up about his fear immediately after the attack.
Mounir Nasraoui broke his silence from hospital as he recovers after being stabbed multiple times
Images emerged of Nasraoui (in Barcelona’s yellow shirt) being led away after an apparent clash with community members in the hours leading up to the fight.
“Thank God I have just been moved up to the ward and I feel a little better,” he said. “We have to be calmer, for the sake of everyone, for my own sake and for that of my family.”
‘I must be calmer because I have no other choice. I have to think that justice will do its job and I’m sure it will, that’s the most important thing. Thank God, who is very great, everything has a solution.
“Of course I was afraid, I saw myself between life and death, scared like any human being.”
Nasraoui’s superstar son Yamal was seen leaving the hospital where he is recovering on Thursday, after reporting for training with his club that morning.
Yamal, naturally concerned about his father’s condition, was seen leaving the facility in Badalona, near Barcelona.
Nasraoui remains in hospital in a stable condition while an investigation into the incident, which took place at 9.10pm on Wednesday night, is said to be still ongoing, although police confirmed they had arrested three men who were being questioned.
A Mossos d’Esquadra spokesman said on Thursday morning: ‘I can confirm that three people have been arrested following the stabbing of a man in the Rocafonda neighbourhood in Mataró.
‘The investigation is still ongoing and officers are still trying to establish the level of involvement of those arrested.
Yamal’s father is reported to have a “long-standing” history with the attackers.
Nasraoui has been his son’s biggest supporter over the years and was present when 17-year-old Yamal won the European Championship title with Spain.
‘Further arrests are possible later today. We are not in a position to provide further details at this stage about the ages and nationalities of the men arrested.
‘What we can say is that the stabbing occurred at 9.10pm in a car park and the arrests took place a couple of hours later and the three people arrested were in custody at 11pm.
‘The arrests took place in the Rocafonda neighbourhood of Mataró. The victim was taken to hospital in Barcelona.
‘There was a previous incident involving the men believed to have been involved in the stabbing, shortly after midday yesterday.
‘That incident and the circumstances surrounding the subsequent stabbing and whether the men allegedly involved ran into each other or the suspects stalked the victim are still under investigation and are an important part of the investigation because they will determine the charges the arrested men could face.’
Police are said to have been alerted by a man described locally as Nasraoui’s best friend after the stabbing on Frank Marshall Street.
A well-placed police source said on Thursday: “The knife wounds suffered by the victim have not affected any vital organs and his life is not in danger.”
Lamine Yamal was seen in a car leaving a hospital near Barcelona where his father, Mounir Nasraoui, is currently recovering.
A fourth man is still being sought by police, according to local reports.
Nasraoui was admitted to an intensive care unit in Barcelona but has since confirmed his transfer to a regular ward.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta was among those who visited the Barcelona winger’s father in hospital on Wednesday night following the stabbing.
The 35-year-old had provided an update on his condition earlier on Thursday in a social post, in which he also thanked everyone for their support.
“Thank you all for your encouragement, I’m feeling better now,” she wrote on Instagram. “A big hug to everyone.”
Nasraoui has been his son’s biggest supporter over the years and was present when 17-year-old Yamal claimed the European Championship title with Spain, where they beat England in the final.
Yamal was Spain’s star of the tournament and his father had previously stated that the rising superstar could “be bigger than (Lionel) Messi”.
Lamine Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, posted a thank you to his fans on his Instagram story.
Nasraoui lives in the Rocafonda neighbourhood of Mataró, where Yamal grew up, and still honours the area with his “304” celebration, which refers to the area’s postal code.
The 35-year-old father is originally from Morocco but moved to Spain when he was nine, where he later met Yamal’s mother, Sheila Ebana, and the couple gave birth to their footballing prodigy son in 2007.