Man arrested for attacking ex-Arsenal player releases extraordinary statement

The man arrested for attacking former Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira has explained in a bizarre statement that 'hatred' was his motive.

Torreira claims that he was punched in the head in the attack, whose aftermath was caught on camera outside the five-star Istanbul hotel where the former Arsenal player had been playing tennis with friends.

Torreira issued a statement after the incident on Tuesday, explaining that he was approached by a man after posing for a photograph and was struck in the side of the head.

"I had never seen him before," said the Uruguayan, who has been playing in Istanbul with Galatasaray since he left Arsenal in 2022.

It appears there's been no lasting physical damage as a result of the incident but the 30-year-old confirmed that he will file a lawsuit against the individual in question.

According to Turkish news outlet Bosuna Tiklama, the alleged attacker has issued a candid confession that paints a picture of a sad obsession.

"I had unrequited feelings for a woman, and because she was uncomfortable with me, she had previously obtained a restraining order against me," reads the statement.

"I never violated that restraining order. However, I started harboring hatred toward Torreira after seeing photos of the woman I had feelings for with Torreira on Instagram a year ago.

"I wrote the posts about Torreira on my Twitter account. The reason I wrote them stems from my hatred toward Torreira.

"Yesterday, upon learning from the Instagram post by Torreira and his family that they were at Rixos Hotel, I went to the address in a commercial taxi whose license plate I don't remember, in a moment of rage, intending to harm Torreira.

"As soon as I saw Torreira, I punched him in the face once."

Lucas Torreira's Galatasaray career

Torreira played 63 times in the Premier League and was loaned to Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina during his time at the Emirates Stadium.

He signed a four-year deal with Galatasaray in 2022 that has subsequently been extended until the summer of 2028.

The 40-cap Uruguay international has made at least 30 league appearances in each of his four seasons in the Super Lig, where he has won four times in a row with the Istanbul giants.

Torreira also won the league in Spain while on loan in Madrid.