Mikel Merino says seat change may have saved his life in Dortmund bus attack

Mikel Merino has described how a change of seat on Borussia Dortmund's team bus may have saved his life during the 2017 bomb attack, according to BBC Sport's reporting of his interview with The Players' Tribune. The Arsenal and Spain midfielder revisited the incident while explaining how he found motivation during the injury recovery that preceded his World Cup triumph.

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Merino was 20 when three explosives detonated beside the coach as Dortmund travelled to a Champions League home match against Monaco. He said he had moved from his usual place because his legs felt tight and seats towards the front could recline. A large piece of shrapnel became embedded in the headrest of the seat he normally used, leaving him to reflect on what might have happened had he stayed there.

He recalled a powerful blast, the bus almost overturning, smoke, screams and blood on the floor. Afterwards, Merino went to hospital to wait for team-mate Marc Bartra, who underwent surgery for a broken wrist. The match was moved to the following day, a decision criticised by then-Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel. BBC Sport reported that Sergei Wenergold was imprisoned in 2018 after admitting responsibility for the attack.

Merino linked those memories to his response to a stress fracture in his right foot in February. He said a doctor initially outlined a six-month absence, with the World Cup only four months away. Having played in qualifying but missed selection for the 2022 tournament, he was determined to avoid another disappointment. He described agreeing to a procedure involving two screws to support his foot.

His immediate target became Arsenal's final league match at Crystal Palace on 24 May, one day before Spain coach Luis de la Fuente announced his squad. Merino said the original rehabilitation plan aimed for the Champions League final against Paris St-Germain on 30 May, itself considered a risky return. After discussions with Mikel Arteta and the medical staff, he was allowed half an hour against Palace to demonstrate his readiness.

Merino then watched the squad announcement on Spanish television with his family and learned he had been selected. According to BBC Sport, his recovery culminated in lifting the World Cup with Spain five months after the fracture. His account places the uncertainty of that rehabilitation alongside the earlier experience in Dortmund that he said helped him persevere.