Sead Kolasinac insists he is ‘not worried’ about living in London despite attempted robbery
Kolasinac and Arsenal teammate Mesut Ozil were attacked in late July
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sead Kolasinac insists he is “not worried” despite the attempted car-jacking he and Arsenal teammate Mesut Ozil fought off in July.
The incident – described as “dangerous” by Kolasinac – saw an assailant approach the left-back with a knife, before being fought off by the Bosnian.
And Kolasinac is ready to put the incident behind him.
“Mesut had visited me. I came out and stood next to his car. Suddenly a scooter driver stops next to us,” Kolasinac told Goal and DAZN.
“You do not think about it, although I’ve heard many stories about it. Why should it happen to you?
“Suddenly the robber stands beside you and pulls an object out of his pocket. ‘Okay’, I thought, ‘now it’s my turn’. But I stayed calm and tried to fight back.
“It was definitely a dangerous situation. We are glad that nothing happened to us. That’s the most important thing. And that’s why it should be forgotten and it’s over.”
One of the assaliants, Ashley Smith, has been jailed for ten years for his role, while Jordan Northover, a second attacker, has pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, and will be sentenced at a later date.
Kolasinac and Ozil were left out of the Arsenal squad while police investigated the incident, and the pair were also provided with security guards to ensure their safety.
Kolasinac still feels fully comfortable in London and says his family are not fearful.
“Yes, that was funny,” he said of the extra security measures put in place. “You go shopping and somebody always watches. But that was discussed with the club as a mere precaution.
“My wife was by my side and, as was written in Germany, my family and I were not scared. We do not hide. We live our lives.
“It was important to me that my family was there. My wife, my dad, my dogs. But I did not have to talk to anyone about it to make me feel better.
“I’m not worried anymore. At no time did I have the idea of leaving London. My family and I are happy and we are happy that everything is back to normal.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments