Overview
- Merino published a personal piece on The Players’ Tribune on 16 October 2026 describing a deafening blast, blood, smoke and screams and saying he later waited in hospital for teammate Marc Bartra.
- The attack on 11 April 2017 used three homemade explosives that detonated from a hedge beside the bus route and included metal nails as shrapnel with an estimated effective range of about 100 metres.
- Multiple people were hurt in the blast, with Bartra suffering a broken wrist and embedded fragments that required surgery the night of the attack and a police motorcyclist also injured.
- The attacker, Sergej Wenergold, was convicted of 28 counts of attempted murder and sentenced to 14 years in prison after admitting he sought to profit from a fall in Borussia Dortmund’s share price.
- Merino says a small change of seat likely saved his life because a large fragment lodged in the headrest of his usual seat, and his recollection has prompted renewed public attention to the lasting effects on players and team safety.