A Newcastle United fan was allegedly stabbed in Milan ahead of the Magpies' Champions League group stage encounter with AC Milan.
Italian news outlet Milano Today claimed that on Monday night a Newcastle fan was ambushed and stabbed by a group of men in Milan, on the eve of their side's clash with AC Milan in the Champions League.
The British man, 58, was allegedly attacked by seven or eight men at around midnight in a neighbourhood near the city centre.
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The publication added that the supporter was saved by police before immediately being rushed to hospital. The motive of the alleged attack is said to be unknown with nothing having been stolen from the victim.
Moreover, on Tuesday morning a Newcastle fan on X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter, posted graphic images of a bloodied supporter, claiming the person had been attacked ahead of the club's Champions League fixture in Milan.
In one picture the fan is lying on the floor, topless, with blood dripping across his torso, while in another the injured individual is sitting upright, still covered in blood but receiving treatment from medical professionals.
The images, which are graphic, can be viewed here and here.
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The Newcastle fan, kickabellNE, captioned one of the images as: "Italians at it again with the stabbings. Take care everyone and look out for each other."
The same person claimed elsewhere: "A Toon fan was stabbed last night in Milan."
On the incident, a Newcastle 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.”
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SPORTbible has contacted Newcastle for comment and reached out to the fan who published the social media post.
Newcastle make their Champions League return for the first team in two decades when they face Milan in the Champions League group stage.
The Magpies have been drawn in a so-called ‘group of death’ alongside Milan, Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund in Group F.
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However, the Rossoneri enter the game off the back of a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of fierce rivals Inter last weekend.
While Milan’s manager Stefano Pioli refused to apologise for the result La Gazzetta dello Sport declared: “It was five slaps, one after another.”
Undeterred, Pioli retorted: “You should only apologise when you do something wrong on purpose.”
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More to follow...
Featured Image Credit: GettyTopics: Football, Newcastle United, Champions League, AC Milan