An 18-year-old soccer player was injured in a knife attack in Agios Dimitrios, a southern suburb of Athens, while he was on his way to practice on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

According to the teenager’s account, a 23-year-old man approached him and demanded his belongings, prompting the teenager to try to defend himself.

“I don’t know the 23-year-old. He tried to rob me. I was walking down the street and he asked me for my belongings, whatever I had on me. I then tried to defend myself,” the 18-year-old said.

“Mom, run, I’ve been stabbed”

The teenager’s mother told Greek television network Mega that her son called her shortly after the attack.

“He called me immediately. ‘Mom, run because I’ve been stabbed.’ I looked at the phone and said, ‘Is it my son? Is this some kind of prank?’ He told me, ‘Mom, run.’ We felt like the ground had disappeared beneath our feet,” she said.

The mother said she considered the attack extremely serious, regardless of whether the motive was robbery.

“I don’t care if he wanted to rob him. Whatever it was, he tried to kill him,” she said. “He was going to practice. The child was walking down the street, just two or three minutes before he reached the field. The other man came from behind, intending to take his life.”

Father describes stabbing

The teenager’s father said the 23-year-old pulled out a knife and demanded his son’s belongings.

A struggle followed, during which the 18-year-old was stabbed in the head and back.

“He pulled out a knife and said, ‘Give me whatever you have.’ He stabbed him in the head. After that, they fought. His backpack fell off; it had his shoes, his soccer gear and other things inside. He stabbed him in the back,” the father said.

Doctor who witnessed aftermath gives first aid

A doctor who witnessed the aftermath of the attack described seeing the teenager covered in blood.

“We heard, ‘Help, help!’ We went out onto the balcony and suddenly saw a child coming up from the side street covered in blood,” the witness told Greek television network Star.

While providing first aid, the witness said, the teenager told them that someone had tried to rob him and that he did not know the attacker.

Teen hospitalized, suspect arrested

The 18-year-old was taken by ambulance to Evangelismos Hospital in Athens, where he remains hospitalized with injuries to his head and back.

The 23-year-old fled the scene following the attack but was located and arrested by authorities.

The investigation is now in the hands of the relevant authorities. The teenager’s parents are calling for the suspect to be held accountable.

“I want the perpetrator to be punished,” the teenager’s father said.