The father of Spain and Barcelona soccer star Lamine Yamal was stabbed at a parking lot in the town of Mataro in northeast Spain on Wednesday night.
National broadcaster TVE reported on Thursday that Mounir Nasraoui was in a “serious but stable” condition in hospital after the incident in the Catalonian town, which is just shy of 20 miles up the coast from Barcelona.
The Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia’s local police force, confirmed on social media four people had been arrested for attempted murder.
TVE said that Nasraoui had been stabbed three times, twice in the abdomen and once in the chest.
Nasraoui, 35, was admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital in Badalona, Barcelona, late on Wednesday and was expected to remain there for the upcoming hours, the report said.
The broadcaster said the police were investigating an alleged previous fight involving Nasraoui as the reason behind the incident.
Several videos have circulated on social media on Wednesday and Thursday, purportedly showing Nasraoui involved in an argument with some individuals in the Rocafonda neighborhood and the police intervening.
The Epoch Times has not been able to independently verify the videos.
On Thursday afternoon, Nasraoui posted a story on his Instagram account, saying: “Thank you all for your encouragement. I’m better now. A big hug to everyone.”
Yamal was the breakout star of the Euro 2024 tournament earlier this summer, which saw him help Spain to their third European Championship title in Germany.
His father was often seen in the crowd cheering him on at the tournament and celebrating with him after La Roja lifted the trophy, beating England in the final in Berlin.
The 17-year-old superstar grew up in Mataro, a working-class, multi-ethnic town just outside Barcelona, as the son of a Moroccan father and an Equatoguinean mother, although his parents separated when he was just 3 years old.
Yamal was scouted by FC Barcelona when he was 6 years old and made his La Liga debut in April last year at the age of 15.
In the same year, 57 days after his 16th birthday, he became Spain’s youngest player and goalscorer during a 7–1 victory over Georgia in a Euro 2024 qualifying match.
