Guangzhou R&F's Dusko Tosic (R) tussles with Shanghai SIPG's Hulk during the Chinese Super League, Shanghai, China, May 4, 2019. /VCG
Guangzhou R&F defender Dusko Tosic was attacked at knifepoint at the Kalemegdan Park in Belgrade on Sunday less than three weeks before the start of the coronavirus-delayed Chinese Super League (CSL) campaign.
According to multiple Serbian media outlets, Tosic was exercising in the park along with several other players under the guidance of the national team's fitness coach Andreja Milutinovic when the horrifying incident happened.
The Serbian veteran confirmed the news later in the day on social media and revealed the assailants had been apprehended by law enforcement officers.
"We were attacked by a group of hooligans, who were armed with knives and electroshock weapons. Fortunately, everything ended without major consequences as the police reacted in a timely manner and arrested the muggers," said Tosic.
Serbia's Dusko Tosic tackles Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri from behind during their World Cup group stage clash at Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, Russia, June 22, 2018. /VCG
"Regrettably, a woman who happened to be passing by was seriously injured during the process," he added without providing any further details.
The latest raid comes only one month after Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder Dele Alli was held at knifepoint and punched after burglars broke in his home in north London. He sustained a facial injury before the intruders fled.
In March, Jan Vertonghen's family was also attacked at knifepoint while the Belgian defender was in Leipzig, Germany, on Champions League duty. In November, Ashley Smith was jailed for 10 years for attempting to rob Arsenal pair Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac of luxury watches.
Tosic, who was lucky to escape from the incident unscathed, joined Guangzhou R&F in May 2018 and played his first World Cup for Serbia in Russia a month later. Before moving to China, he was a regular at Besiktas and helped the Turkish giants win two league titles in a row.
Serbia defender Dusko Tosic (R2) is renowned for his physical power and strong mentality. /VCG
The 35-year-old has been training in his home country since the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the global sporting calendar. He is among several foreign players who are scheduled to return to China in coming weeks as the 2020 CSL season will kick off on July 25, five months after it was meant to start.
Beijing Guoan's Spanish playmaker Jonathan Viera and South Korean center-back Kim Min-jae just landed in China over the weekend. The capital club's Brazilian duo Renato Augusto and Fernando are set to arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday on a charter flight.
Meanwhile, Shanghai Shenhua's French midfielder Stephane Mbia flew back to China late on Sunday, Shandong Luneng's Italian center-forward Graziano Pelle will be back on Monday. Henan Jianye's Cameroonian striker Christian Bassogog, having filled out all the necessary paperwork, is set to return in mid-July.