'I'm fortunate to be alive' - Merino relives bus attack

What the report says

Arsenal and Spain midfielder Mikel Merino has reflected on the 2017 attack on Borussia Dortmund’s team bus, saying a late change of seat may have protected him. In comments reported by BBC Sport Football, Merino recalled that he was 20 at the time and that the explosion happened as Dortmund travelled to a Champions League semi-final against Monaco. He said shrapnel ended up in the headrest of the seat he would normally have used, but he had moved because his legs felt tight.

Merino described the incident as deeply traumatic, saying he remembered the noise, smoke and panic on the bus, and later went to hospital while waiting for team-mate Marc Bartra. BBC Sport notes that the match was postponed until the following day, a decision that drew criticism at the time. The report also says Sergei Wenergold was later imprisoned in 2018 after admitting responsibility for the attack.

The BBC article places Merino’s reflections within a wider interview about his recovery from a stress fracture in his right foot earlier this year and his eventual selection for Spain’s World Cup squad. According to the report, he used the Dortmund experience as motivation during rehabilitation, with the midfielder stressing that he wanted to prove he was ready to return. The piece highlights both the lasting impact of the bus attack and Merino’s determination to continue his career at club and international level.