Arsenal star Mikel Merino says he’s ‘lucky to be alive’ after ‘angel’ saved him during Borussia Dortmund bus bombing

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has admitted that he is lucky to be alive' after 'an angel' saved him in the 2017 Borussia Dortmund bus bombing.

The German side were targeted after an attack by Sergej Wenergold, who detonated three pipe bombs near the bus when it was on its way to a Champions League match.

Dortmund defender Marc Bartra was left hospitalised with a wrist injury following the attack, while a police officer was also treated for injuries and unable to return to work.

Merino luckily escaped unscathed in the attack.

Speaking about the attack, Merino, who was 20 at the time, told The Players' Tribune: 'I think I have an angel on my shoulder,' 'I'm actually fortunate to be alive at all.

He added: 'There was a deafening noise, and then I remember the bus nearly tipping over. I looked behind me and saw blood on the floor.

Smoke, screams. I remember being at the hospital later that night, waiting for Marc Bartra, who had his wrist badly cut up.

'The next day, someone told me that a huge piece of shrapnel was lodged in the headrest of the seat next to Marc. My usual seat. That day, the seat was empty.

'My legs were feeling a bit tight, and the seats in the front reclined. So I sat up there instead, and it may have saved my life. So yeah, I just have this belief that things happen for a reason.'

The pipe bombs were hidden in hedges by the side of the road and detonated at around 7.15pm local time. Dortmund were on the way to their stadium to face Monaco in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The bombs were filled with metal pins and had a reach of around 100 meters.  

After a lengthy investigation, Wenergold, then 29, was charged with 28 counts of attempted murder for the attack. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

He said during the trial that he did not intend to kill any of the players but make money by betting on a fall in Borussia Dortmund's stock market price.

The match against Monaco was postponed but played the following day - a decision led to some heavy criticism of UEFA. 

England coach Thomas Tuchel was manager of Dortmund at the time and after the match branded the decision to play the game 'absurd'.

'We were informed by text message that UEFA was making this decision,' he added. 'A decision made in Switzerland that concerns us directly. We will not forget it. It is a very bad feeling.

'There is a feeling of helplessness. What we think has not interested anyone. We weren't asked about playing the game.

'Everyone has their own way of reacting to events. The players had the choice not to play, but no-one chose this option.'