NAPOLI icon Massimo Tarantino stepped in to defend Pablo Mari after a knife-wielding attacker assaulted him.
Arsenal centre-back Mari was stabbed in the back while shopping with his family and airlifted to hospital after the attack at 6:30pm on Thursday.
Four others were stabbed with a 30-year-old supermarket cashier tragically losing his life in the attack in Assago, Italy.
Mari shared how he saw the man die in front of him but fortunately the on-loan Monza star is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing surgery.
He has ex-footballer Tarantino to thank after the former defender stepped in to disarm the attacker.
But he did not want to take credit for his role in stopping the assailant, saying: “I didn’t do anything in particular, I’m not a hero.”
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Tarantino, whose playing career included spells at Napoli, Inter Milan and Bologna, was uninjured in the attack.
The 51-year-old played alongside Diego Maradona in Naples and also had a loan spell at Monza, like Mari.
He most recently worked as a technical director at Serie B outfit SPAL, who are managed by Roma legend Daniele De Rossi.
Tarantino also described how the suspect, named as 46-year-old Italian man named Andrea Tombolini, was screaming as he attacked his victims.
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It is believed Tombolini used a knife he picked up from the supermarket shelves to carry out the attack and has been arrested by local police.
Mari is said to be in good spirits despite the attack with Monza chief Adriano Galliano revealing the 29-year-old joked he will be back on the pitch on Monday.
Galliani said: “Pablo is an amazing guy. He had the strength to joke and tell me that he will be back in training on Monday.
“I brought him greetings from [club president Silvio] Berlusconi and everyone else.”
In a tweet he added: “Dear Pablo, we are all here close to you and your family, we love you, keep fighting as you know how to do, you are a warrior and you will get well soon.”
An Arsenal statement read: “We are all shocked to hear the dreadful news about the stabbing in Italy, which has put a number of people in hospital including our on-loan centre-back Pablo Mari.
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“We have been in contact with Pablo’s agent who has told us he’s in hospital and is not seriously hurt.
“Our thoughts are with Pablo and the other victims of this dreadful incident.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
