A 19-year-old Danish soccer player is in stable condition after being seriously injured in a stabbing over the weekend, his club confirmed on Tuesday, April 21.
Alamara Djabi, a midfielder for FC Midtjylland, was stabbed in the Danish town of Herning, where his club is based.
“Alamara Djabi was subsequently in critical condition and underwent emergency surgery,” Midtjylland said in a statement Tuesday. “Since then, he has undergone another operation, and thanks to the professional efforts of the emergency responders and later the hospital staff, his condition is now stable.
The statement continued, “He has awakened from an induced coma and is doing well under the circumstances. FC Midtjylland is in close dialogue and cooperation with the authorities and is providing support to Alamara Djabi and his family.”
The club did not provide further details about the incident, citing the “ongoing investigation, including witness interviews and investigations, we have no further comments.”
“We ask for the public’s understanding and call for respect for the privacy of Alamara Djabi and his loved ones in this difficult situation,” Midtjylland added. “Alamara Djabi has not been selected for the first team for a long time and was not in the game for the upcoming matches.”
The statement concluded, “Our thoughts are with our teammate, his family and friends, and we wish him continued recovery.”
Danish police say they are looking for a 20-year-old man with “pale complexion and cropped dark hair” in connection with the stabbing, according to All Out Soccer.
Djabi is a native of Guinea-Bissau and has made two appearances for Midtjylland. He also appeared in seven matches on loan with Portuguese second division club CD Mafra last year.
As Midtjylland navigates the Danish Superliga schedule, the club’s technical director, Kristian Kjær, spoke to The Guardian in March about the roster’s tight-knit culture.
“One of the secrets in Midtjylland is that we are trying to bring in good people with the right mindset, who are also skilled and want to share their wisdom and also are open to new ideas,” he said at the time. “One of our core principles is that we like to be a family club. We take care of each other, not only on the pitch but off it, too. We believe when you know each other a bit more in detail, it’s also easier to be demanding.”
Midtjylland is currently in second place in Group A of the Danish Superliga, having defeated first-place AGF, 2-1, on Monday, April 20.
