The man who stabbed five people and killed another in a Milanese supermarket reportedly told police he felt ‘jealous’ when realising Monza and Arsenal player Pablo Mari was there.
The 46-year-old has been named as Andrea Tombolini and was charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder.
He had been under psychiatric care and is convinced he has a tumour that will soon kill him, despite not having a medical diagnosis.
Tombolini stabbed six people in the supermarket in Assago, on the outskirts of Milan, killing a cashier.
It had been reported that the first person stabbed was Monza player Pablo Mari, but until now it was assumed it was a random attack.
Now La Gazzetta dello Sport claim Tombolini told police from his hospital room that he took the knife from the shelves and stabbed Pablo Mari because he realised “there was a Milan player among the clients. I felt jealous, because he was doing well and I was not.
“So I struck him with a knife that was in my hand and I could’ve stopped there, but instead I don’t know what got into me and I started striking other people too.”
This would suggest that he targeted Pablo Mari on purpose as a ‘famous player’ – even though he did not know what team he played for – rather than making it a random attack.
Pablo Mari, who is at Monza on loan from Arsenal and was in Serie A last season at Udinese, was shopping in the supermarket with his wife, their young child was seated in the trolley.
He had surgery to repair the muscles in his back and is expected to be off the field for two to three months.
My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected during this devastating time.