Two Arsenal footballers were confronted by two men wielding knives in north London Thursday. Mesut Özil and Sead Kolašinac of London’s football team, Arsenal were the ones who were victims to the attempted mugging.
The video, which has now gone viral on social media, shows Kolašinac chasing down the robbers who purposely targeted the two soccer players, per the BBC.
In the footage, it shows two men, who had their faces covered, circling Özil’s car as Arsenal full-back Sead Kolašinac got out and chased the men away.
“We have been in contact with both players and they are fine,” the Arsenal football club said in a statement.
An #AFC spokesperson confirms Ozil and Kolasinac involved in carjacking.
“We have been in contact with both players and they are fine.”
The Muggers Arrived on Motorbikes
According to police, the two men who targeted Mesut Özil and Sead Kolašinac arrived on motorbikes before they started their attack.
“It was reported that suspects on motorbikes had attempted to rob a man who was driving a car,” a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police told the BBC. “The driver, along with his passenger, managed to get away unharmed and traveled to a restaurant in Golders Green, where they were spoken to by officers.”
according to the Mail Online, witnesses said that as Kolašinac was trying to chase off the muggers, Özil escaped into a nearby restaurant. One onlooker said özil looked terrified.
“He looked like he was running for his life. And I suppose he was,” Financial worker Azuka Alintah, 36, said. “I saw him disappear into the restaurant with the motorcycle guys on his tail. They didn’t take off their helmets and were all in black, wearing long-sleeved tops in this hot weather. They stood out. God knows what would have happened if they’d caught him. It looked to me like he’d have been hacked to shreds and he clearly thought so too.”
Alintah then said restaurant workers from the establishment Özil fleed to tried to turn their attention to the muggers.
“As soon as the restaurant staff started to come to the window and to the doorway, they turned around and roared off,” Alintah said.
Arsenal fans are giving Sead Kolašinac props for protecting their #10 midfielder Mesut Özil, some even making memes out of the situation.
Sead Kolasinac when he saw the robbers attack Ozil’s car:
(📽: @5481H_C)
“If Arsenal really want to sign Wilfried Zaha, they just need to send Kolasinac to Crystal Palace’s training ground. He’ll come back with both Zaha and the £80 million,” a tweet from the account @FootyHumour said.
If Arsenal really want to sign Wilfried Zaha, they just need to send Kolasinac to Crystal Palace’s training ground. He’ll come back with both Zaha and the £80 million.
Kolasinac back in Arsenal training tomorrow…
Even well-known British celebrity, talk show host and political analyst Piers Morgan gave props to Kolašinac.
“WOW. Incredible guts from @seadk6 – looks like he took on the whole moped/knife gang,” the Brit tweeted.
The original post onto twitter has amassed a total of 3.9 million views a far as Thursday at 5PM EST. The caption reads, “Mesut Ozil’s car got jumped, Kolasinac jumped out and backed the beef,” with a pro Arsenal hashtag at the end, “#YaGunnersYa.”
You can watch the full video below:
Mesut Ozil’s car got jumped, Kolasinac jumped out and backed the beef. #YaGunnersYa
Mesut Özil and Sead Kolašinac Are Not the First Professional Footballers to Be Targeted on the Streets of London
According to the Yahoo Sports UK, in 2016, then West Ham striker Andy Carroll was threatened by gunpoint on his way home from training one day.
Jack O’Brien, 22, of Navarre Gardens, Romford, was the man responsible for the incident as he was captured and sentenced to for six years for trying to rob Andy Carroll of his £22,000 ($27,399) wristwatch.
This incident was captured on bus CCTV cameras as two robbers, also on motorbikes, chased the West Ham striker down in his Jeep Wrangler in order to try and rob him.
O’Brien originally tried to deny the attack but was sentenced to an extra five years and three months for other crimes.
The second man in the incident is still unknown.
As for, the attack on Kolašinac and Özil, the two men are still at-large.
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WATCH: Arsenal’s Sead Kolašinac Confronts Muggers outside Mesut Özil’s Car