Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has revealed how a last-minute change of seat on Borussia Dortmund’s team bus may have saved his life during a bomb attack in Germany in 2017.
Merino was 20 years old and playing for Dortmund when three explosives packed with metal pins detonated near the team bus as players travelled to face Monaco in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
The blast left the bus badly shaken and caused panic among the players, with smoke, screams and blood inside the vehicle.
The Spanish midfielder explained that he would normally have occupied a seat beside team-mate Marc Bartra. However, he decided to sit at the front of the bus because his legs felt tight and the front seats could recline.
That decision may have saved him from serious injury or death, as a large piece of shrapnel later became lodged in the headrest of the seat he would ordinarily have used.
Speaking about the terrifying experience in an interview with The Players’ Tribune, Merino reflected on how fortunate he felt to have escaped unharmed.
“I think I have an angel on my shoulder. I’m actually fortunate to be alive at all,” he said.
Merino recalled the deafening explosion, the bus almost tipping over and the disturbing scenes that followed. He later went to hospital, where he waited for Bartra, who required surgery for a broken wrist sustained in the attack.
The Champions League fixture against Monaco was postponed until the following day. German national Sergei Wenergold was subsequently sentenced to prison in 2018 after admitting responsibility for the bombing.
Merino’s battle to return
The midfielder also discussed his recent struggle with a stress fracture in his right foot, an injury that threatened to end his hopes of representing Spain at the 2026 World Cup.
Doctors initially warned that his recovery could take six months, despite the tournament being only four months away at the time.
Merino admitted that the diagnosis left him shocked, with the emotional impact becoming clearer when he broke the news to his wife, Lola.
Determined not to miss the tournament, he underwent surgery and worked towards returning to action. He also pushed to feature for Arsenal against Crystal Palace before Spain’s squad announcement, believing that playing time would strengthen his chances of selection.
His determination paid off when he was named in Spain’s World Cup squad.
Merino’s account highlights how a seemingly minor decision during the Dortmund attack became a defining moment in his life, while his latest injury battle demonstrated the determination he brought to another difficult challenge.
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