Ivan Rakitic: "My wife saved us from Barcelona terrorist attack"
The Barça player has been speaking about how close he was to being with his family on Las Ramblas at the time of the attack on 17 August 2017.
The Croatian international Ivan Rakitic revealed in a recent interview that had it not been for his wife’s decision making, he and his family would have been in the area where the horrific terrorist attack took place in Barcelona mid August.
Rakitic wife changed plans away from attack location
Speaking with 24 Sata, a media outlet from his home country, Rakitic explained that he was out in the centre of Barcelona with his family, in the vicinity of Las Ramblas, the scene where 13 people were killed and around 100 injured on the morning on the 17 August 2017. Their plan was to go to that street, which would likely have coincided with the van being driven down the pedestrian thoroughfare, however his wife, Raquel Mauri, suggested a different venue.
“We were very close,” the Barça star stated, “I was with the family in the centre of the city and we were ready to head to the place where the attack happened. I wanted to go there, but my wife said that as it was a lovely day it would be better for the kids to play in the park outside our house. Thank God I listened.
World of sport with the victims of Catalonia terror attacks
“We were about three or four minutes from this horror occurred. We sat in the car and started to drive back towards home when my mobile started going off. Family and many friends called me to find out how we were…
“The attack happened right at this moment,” recalled Rakitic.