Following Fenerbahce’s 5-1 victory over Rizespor on Saturday, the club’s team bus was attacked along a stretch of highway between Rize and Trabzon, where they were headed to the airport to travel back to Istanbul.
An “armed gang” reportedly fired shots into the bus as it made its way down the highway, wounding the driver in a possible attempt to cause the bus to crash with the majority of the club’s first-team players onboard.
After the driver was shot, passengers inside the bus, presumably first-team players and/or coaching staff, were forced to take control of the vehicle, preventing the bus from losing control and crashing at high speeds. The attack was reportedly carried out as the bus drove across an aqueduct bridge, meaning all 40 members onboard could have been taken overboard as the bus drove off the edge.
The driver can be seen here, bleeding from his mouth and/or nose as he is rushed into the backseat of a police care to be taken to receive medical treatment.
No injuries to anyone other than bus driver have been reported, though his condition is currently unknown after being taken to the hospital. A number of key details about the attack have also not yet been made clear.Some pictures of the incident... pic.twitter.com/A9dO2UgwfB
— Fener Int (@fenerint) April 4, 2015Fenerbahce fans gather at the airport to welcome back the players after tonight’s shocking events. Great support. pic.twitter.com/0nMlRpqc7I
— Soccer St. (@SoccerSt_) April 4, 2015Follow @AndyEdMLS