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ATLANTA – Ottawa Fury forward Oliver Minatel will play in Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Silverbacks after he was attacked by another passenger on a flight.
The Fury were flying from Ottawa to Atlanta on Friday ahead of their North American Soccer League matchup when, according to a team spokesman, the passenger sitting behind Minatel tried to strangle him with his headphone cord.
A passenger sitting beside the suspect came to Minatel’s aid, as did several of his teammates. The suspect had to be restrained for the remaining 30 minutes of the flight and was arrested by the FBI upon arrival at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
“We’re very thankful to everyone who came to the aid of Oliver and relieved that he’s OK and ready to play in our game against the Silverbacks in Atlanta tomorrow evening,” said Fury FC head coach Marc Dos Santos in a statement. “I and others on the flight have made statements to the proper authorities and I’d like to leave further comment on the matter to them while we prepare for the game.”
Minatel, his Ottawa teammates, and the other passengers were unharmed.
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