STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Bayern Munich left back Raphaël Guerreiro was injured early in the team’s 3-1 Bundesliga defeat at Stuttgart on Saturday, a blow for the Bavarian powerhouse ahead of its Champions League semifinal at Real Madrid.
The Portugal international went off in the 17th minute after stretching too far for the ball. It seemed to be a muscular injury.
“Rapha’s not doing well at all. He’s going around on crutches,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said. “He’s cursed. He’s probably out of the return match for us – bitter, bitter, bitter for us.”
Tuchel made six changes from the team that drew 2-2 with Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, with Guerreiro among those starting. The player made a good impression after going on at halftime in the first leg on Tuesday.
Alphonso Davies, Aleksander Pavlovic, Serge Gnabry, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Mathys Tel also started in place of Noussair Mazraoui, Konrad Laimer, Leon Goretzka, Thomas Müller and Leroy Sané (all substitutes) as well as Jamal Musiala (not in squad).
Tuchel took Eric Dier off at halftime as a precaution after the defender clashed heads with Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy in the first half. Dier had continued playing with a bandage on his head.
Tuchel said Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt took part in individual training on Saturday and was expected to join team training on Sunday.
Bayern visits Madrid on Wednesday. The winner of the two-leg semifinal will play either Borussia Dortmund or Paris Saint-Germain in the final in London on June 1.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Munich's Raphael Guerreiro, right, leaves the pitch injured as coach Thomas Tuchel gestures , during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart, in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)
Munich's Raphael Guerreiro, right, leaves the pitch injured, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart, in Stuttgart, Germany, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)
PEZINOK, Slovakia (AP) — Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico ’s condition was stable but serious Saturday as the man accused of trying to assassinate him faced his first court appearance.
Health Minister Zuzana Dolinkova said two-hour surgery Friday to remove dead tissue from multiple gunshot wounds “contributed to a positive prognosis” for Fico.
Defense Minister Robert Kalinak said his condition still makes it impossible to transport him to the capital, Bratislava.
The update on Fico’s condition came as the man accused of attempting to assassinate him made his first court appearance Saturday, Slovak state media said.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
PEZINOK, Slovakia (AP) — The man accused of attempting to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico made his first court appearance Saturday as the nation’s leader remained in serious condition recovering from surgery after surviving multiple gunshots, Slovak state media said.
Fico, 59, was attacked as he greeted supporters following a government meeting Wednesday in the former coal mining town of Handlova. The suspect was tackled to the ground and arrested.
Prosecutors are seeking an order from Slovakia’s Specialized Criminal Court to detain the suspect.
Prosecutors told police not to publicly identify the suspect or release other details about the case, but unconfirmed media reports said he was a 71-year-old retiree known as an amateur poet who may have once worked as a mall security guard in the country’s southwest.
Government authorities gave details that matched that description. They said the suspect didn’t belong to any political groups, though the attack itself was politically motivated.
The courthouse in Pezinok, a small town outside the capital, Bratislava, was guarded by officers wearing balaclavas and carrying rifles. News media were not allowed in the courthouse and reporters were kept behind a gate outside.
Police on Friday had taken the suspect to his home in the town of Levice and seized a computer and some documents, Markiza, a Slovak television station reported. Police didn’t comment.
Fico underwent another round of surgery Friday to remove dead tissue from his body, said Miriam Lapuníková, director of the University F. D. Roosevelt hospital in Banska Bystrica, where Fico was taken by helicopter after he was shot.
He also underwent a CT scan and was awake and stable in an intensive care unit. She described his condition as “very serious.”
World leaders have condemned the attack and offered support for Fico and Slovakia.
Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond. His return to power last year on a pro-Russia, anti-American platform led to worries among fellow European Union and NATO members that he would abandon his country’s pro-Western course, particularly on Ukraine.
At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Slovakia was one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, but Fico halted arms deliveries to Ukraine when he returned to power, his fourth time serving as prime minister.
Fico’s government has also made efforts to overhaul public broadcasting — a move critics said would give the government full control of public television and radio. That, coupled with his plans to amend the penal code to eliminate a special anti-graft prosecutor, have led opponents to worry that Fico will lead Slovakia down a more autocratic path.
Thousands of demonstrators have repeatedly rallied in the capital and around the country of 5.4 million to protest his policies.
Fico said last month on Facebook that he believed rising tensions in the country could lead to the killing of politicians, and he blamed the media for fueling tensions.
Before Fico returned to power last year, many of his political and business associates were the focus of police investigations, and dozens have been charged.
His plan to overhaul the penal system would eliminate the office of the special prosecutor that deals with organized crime, corruption and extremism.
Journalists gather as they wait for the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to be brought to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
Policemen guard the area as they wait for the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to be brought to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
Policemen guard the area as convoy brings the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
FILE - Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico speaks during a press conference with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Carmelite Monastery in Budapest, Hungary, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. A man charged with attempting to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was escorted by police to his home on the morning of Friday, May 17, 2024, with media saying that it was part of a search for evidence. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos, File)
Policemen guard the area as convoy brings the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
