Merino on the Dortmund Bus Attack: "I'm Fortunate to Be Alive"

Arsenal and Spain midfielder Mikel Merino has opened up about the attack on Borussia Dortmund's team bus in April 2017, saying he considers himself lucky to have survived it.

Merino was 20 at the time and playing for Dortmund. The bus was hit by explosions on its way to the stadium ahead of a Champions League quarter-final against Monaco. Defender Marc Bartra was injured in the blast and taken to hospital, and the fixture was pushed back a day as the club and authorities dealt with the aftermath.

Reflecting on the day, Merino made clear that the scale of what could have happened has stayed with him. His message was simple: he feels fortunate to be alive, and the memory of that afternoon has never really left him. It is a candid reminder that behind the transfers, contracts and match schedules, players go through events that have nothing to do with football.

The attack shook a club and a city, and it still shapes how many people in the game think about security for players and staff. For Merino, now established at one of England's biggest clubs, it is a story about perspective, and about how far he has come since that spring evening in Dortmund.