Corinthians supporters attack team's player at hotel

Corinthians midfielder Luan faced an attack from supporters of the club while the player was at the team hotel on Tuesday. Reports out of Brazil claim that the player was dragged out of his hotel by fans. They demanded that Luan terminate his current contract. The 30-year-old midfielder suffered minor injuries in the assault.

Corinthians condemns supporters attack on player

The club has since condemned the incident in a statement regarding the issue. “Corinthians received with sadness and indignation the information that athlete Luan was assaulted by alleged fans in the early hours of this Tuesday morning,” the statement read.

“After another repugnant case of violence, Corinthians regrets the current moment of intolerance that dominates Brazilian soccer,” the statement continued. “Nothing justifies the cowardly aggression suffered by the athlete.”

Following the attack, Luan posted a photo on his Instagram story with what appeared to be a significant amount of blood on his shorts. The midfielder also added a caption of “It’s not just football…” along with the photo.

Midfielder has endured tough few seasons at club

Luan joined Corinthians from Gremio in a deal worth just over $5 million back in early 2020. The attacking midfielder racked up five goals and three assists in 42 total appearances during his first year with the club.

After a fairly disappointing sophomore season at Corinthians, the club loaned Luan to Santos in 2022. In all, the midfielder has nine goals and five assists in 78 total games with Corinthians so far. His current contract with the club expires in December. However, with the club sitting in 16th, fans may want to see that contract end sooner rather than later. Although only a third of the way into the season, the club is one point above the drop.

According to Transfermarkt, Luan’s value reached its peak at $21 million in 2018. It was during this time that the Brazilian earned links with Premier League powerhouse Liverpool. The Reds reportedly considered activating Luan’s $20 million release clause while he was with Gremio. The transfer, however, obviously didn’t occur and Luan remained in his home country.

PHOTO: IMAGO / TheNews2