FORMER Celtic star Emilio Izaguire has been injured by shards of glass that came into the team bus following an attack by opposition fans in what must have been a terrifying return for the player to his Honduran club Motagua.
Pictures released by the club show Emilio with a bandage over his left eye. We can only hope the injury will not affect the continuation of his career with the club.
Three people have been reported as being killed and 10 more injured in rioting amongst supporters in the capital Tegucigalpa. The trouble erupted on Saturday before the game between Motagua and Olimpia.
???????? Nuestros jugadores, Emilio Izaguirre, Roberto Moreira y Jonathan Rougier, están siendo atendidos en un centro hospitalario después del ataque vandálico a nuestro bus pic.twitter.com/8rptzSYmZk
— Fútbol Club Motagua (@MOTAGUAcom) August 18, 2019
It began when crowds threw missiles at the Motagua team bus causing windows on the bus to be broken and shards of glass striking three players including Izzy.
The game itself was called off and fighting continued both inside and outside the ground after the match was called off before it’s expected kick off time.
Reuters reported a hospital spokesperson Laura Schoenherr as saying:
“Three people died and seven were shot and stabbed. One of them is a boy. Three of the injured adults are in critical condition,”
It’s been reported that a crowd of more than more than 10,000 were already in the ground when the violence broke out. Police used tear gas on those rioting to try and break it up and it appears many supporters were caught up in a stampede.
Emilio’s club Montagua tweeted pictures of the three players injured showing Izaguire being treated by medical staff and two of his teammates Jonathan Rougier and Roberto Moreira also receiving treatment. The club also tweeted pictures of the damage to the bus following the attack.
????El Fútbol Club Motagua, no se presentará al partido contra Olimpia por los actos vandálicos que sufrió nuestro equipo por aficionados de la Ultra Fiel en su camino al estadio nacional, donde tenemos varios jugadores heridos por los vidrios. pic.twitter.com/p00xz36Adt
— Fútbol Club Motagua (@MOTAGUAcom) August 18, 2019
It sounds like a terrifying and ultimately terribly sad situation for the players, the majority of supporters and Honduran football.
I’m sure we all wish Emilio a speedy recovery and our support is with him and his family.
You shouldn’t take your family to a game of football and have to fear they’ll never return.
In a post on Instagram, Izaguirre said it is “painful” to think of those who died in the clashes.
He played down his own injuries, saying some glass went into his eye but added it is “nothing serious” and “the danger is over”.
Niall J
