Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has recounted how an unexpected change of seat on Borussia Dortmund’s team bus may have saved his life during a bomb attack in Germany in 2017.
The Spanish international was 20 when three explosives containing metal pins detonated near Dortmund’s team bus as players travelled to the stadium for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Monaco.
Merino, who was then playing for the German club, said he had abandoned his usual seat because his legs felt tight and opted for a seat at the front of the bus.
The decision proved potentially life-saving, as a large piece of shrapnel became embedded in the headrest of the seat he would ordinarily have occupied.
According to BBC Sport on Friday, Merino disclosed the experience in an interview with The Players’ Tribune.
“The seats in the front reclined, so I sat up there instead, and it may have saved my life,” Merino said in an interview with The Players’ Tribune.
“I think I have an angel on my shoulder. I’m actually fortunate to be alive at all.”
Recounting the moments after the explosion, the midfielder described the chaos that followed, including the deafening blast and the apparent near-overturning of the bus.
“A lot of young people probably would not even believe that it happened, or how bad it was, but it marked us all. There was a deafening noise, and then I remember the bus nearly tipping over,” he said.
Merino said the scene was frightening, with smoke filling the surroundings, blood visible on the floor and passengers screaming in panic.
Following the attack, he went to the hospital to await news of teammate Marc Bartra, who had sustained a broken wrist and required surgery.
The incident forced the postponement of Dortmund’s match against Monaco until the following day. The decision drew criticism from the club’s then-manager, Thomas Tuchel, who now coaches England.
Sergei Wenergold, a German of Russian origin, was sentenced to prison in 2018 after admitting responsibility for the bombing.
Years later, Merino said the experience of narrowly escaping death influenced his determination to overcome another major challenge in his football career: a stress fracture in his right foot that threatened his chances of playing at the World Cup.
The injury occurred in February, with doctors initially estimating that his recovery would take six months. However, the tournament was only four months away.
“The doctor said, ‘six months’,” Merino said.
“I was too shocked to even feel sad. I just did the math in my head. The World Cup was four months away.”
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He recalled breaking down emotionally when he shared the diagnosis with his wife, Lola.
“When I told my wife, Lola, that’s when I broke down. My brain already understood, but my heart needed me to say it out loud,” he said.
Having participated in Spain’s qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup but failed to make the final squad, Merino was determined not to miss another opportunity to represent his country on football’s biggest stage.
“I have to play. I will be at the World Cup, no matter what,” he said.
To improve his chances of returning in time, the midfielder was prepared to undergo a procedure in which two screws would be inserted into his foot to provide additional support.
“I put all the meat on the barbecue, as we say in Spain. They told me they could drill two screws into my foot to give it support. I was like, Vamos, put ’em in,” he said.
Merino also revealed that he repeatedly pressed Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and the club’s medical team to approve his return for the Premier League season finale against Crystal Palace on May 24.
Although his planned comeback had initially been scheduled for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30, Merino believed he needed to feature in a competitive match before Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente named his World Cup squad the following day.
“Zero minutes in four months. How do you call up a player like that?” he said.
“I spent all week arguing with the boss and the physios. The plan was for me to return for the Champions League final, and even that was risky. But I had to show Luis that I was ready. Finally, they agreed to give me half an hour against Palace.”
He explained that the opportunity to play against Crystal Palace was vital in demonstrating that he had recovered sufficiently to be considered for selection.
“That day, I was playing for the World Cup, 100%. And after that, I thought I had a good chance,” he said.
The midfielder subsequently watched Spain’s squad announcement on television from his sofa, anxiously waiting to find out whether his name would be included.
“At some point, the screen showed a woman in a vineyard… Mikel Merino!” he said.
Merino said he immediately celebrated the news with Lola and their son, Marco, while his phone filled with congratulatory messages.
“I hugged Lola. I kissed Marco. My phone blew up with messages,” he said.
“I was going to the World Cup.”
His account reflects the lasting psychological impact of the 2017 Dortmund bombing and the resilience that helped him battle back from a potentially career-disrupting injury to pursue his World Cup ambitions.