Mikel Merino Reveals How Seat Change Saved His Life In Dortmund Bomb Attack

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has revealed that a last-minute change of seats on Borussia Dortmund’s team bus may have saved his life during a bomb attack in Germany in 2017.

Mikel Merino, then 20, was travelling with his Dortmund teammates to the stadium for their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Monaco when three explosives packed with metal pins detonated beside the bus.

A large piece of shrapnel became lodged in the headrest of the seat the Spanish midfielder would normally have occupied. However, he had moved to another seat because his legs felt tight.

Speaking to The Players’ Tribune in an interview reported by BBC Sport on Friday, Merino said the decision might have saved his life.

“The seats in the front reclined, so I sat up there instead, and it may have saved my life,” he said.

“I think I have an angel on my shoulder. I’m actually fortunate to be alive at all.”

Merino recalled the chaos that followed the explosion, describing the deafening noise, smoke, blood and screams inside 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.

The midfielder later went to hospital to wait for teammate Marc Bartra, who underwent surgery for a broken wrist sustained in the attack. UEFA postponed the match until the following day, a decision criticised by Dortmund’s then-manager Thomas Tuchel, who is now England head coach.

Sergei Wenergold, a German of Russian origin, was sentenced to prison in 2018 after admitting responsibility for the bombing.

Merino said the experience helped him develop the determination to overcome setbacks, including a stress fracture in his right foot that threatened his hopes of representing Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Doctors initially predicted a six-month recovery, leaving him concerned about missing the tournament, which was only four months away.

“The doctor said, ‘six months’,” he recalled.

“I was too shocked to even feel sad. I just did the math in my head. The World Cup was four months away.”

He said he broke down emotionally when he told his wife, Lola, about the diagnosis.

“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.

Determined to avoid missing another major tournament after failing to make Spain’s final squad for the 2022 World Cup, Merino pushed for treatment that could accelerate his recovery.

“I have to play. I will be at the World Cup, no matter what,” he said.

He agreed to undergo a procedure in which doctors inserted two screws into his foot to provide support and aid his return to action.

“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 urged Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and the club’s medical staff to allow him to feature against Crystal Palace in the final Premier League match of the season on 24 May, a day before Spain announced their squad.

Although his return had initially been planned for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on 30 May, Merino believed he needed to prove his fitness to Spain manager Luis de la Fuente.

“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.”

Merino believed the appearance strengthened his chances of selection.

“That day, I was playing for the World Cup, 100%. And after that, I thought I had a good chance,” he said.

He recalled watching Spain’s squad announcement on television with his wife and son, Marco, before hearing his name called.

“At some point, the screen showed a woman in a vineyard… Mikel Merino!” he said.

“I hugged Lola. I kissed Marco. My phone blew up with messages,” he added.

“I was going to the World Cup.”