The trial of a fatal knife attack that occurred during a football training session in Esch-sur-Alzette in January 2023 continued on Wednesday, with three witnesses taking the stand. The incident involved a man who arrived armed with two knives at a training session for the U13 team of the Jeunesse Esch football club. He was fatally wounded during the altercation.
One witness, believed by police to have seen the most, initially struggled to recall details of the event, which happened over two years ago. However, after the judge read his previous testimony, the witness remembered seeing the father of one of the players – who is now accused of grievous bodily harm – sitting on top of the attacker.
A second witness testified that he shouted at three individuals from afar to stop assaulting the attacker, as the man had already been subdued. The witness claimed he then called an ambulance and, upon turning around, saw the youth coach stab the man on the ground three times. However, police records suggest the witness may have mentioned the stabbing earlier, during his emergency call. To clarify these inconsistencies, a criminal police investigator will present a recording of the emergency call at the next court session.
The same witness also alleged that he overheard the coach tell police: “It was me, I’ll kill him because he wants to kill my kids.”
A third witness took the stand but initially appeared to remember barely anything about the incident. Observers might have assumed he was on a different pitch at the time and had been mistakenly called to testify. However, after persistent questioning by the judge, the witness recalled that a man armed with knives had charged at the youth coach and his brother during the altercation.
The lawyer representing the accused father of one of the U13 players emphasised the seriousness of the threat posed by the victim. The first witness also highlighted the lasting impact of the incident, noting that several children stopped playing football altogether. In the eyes of the young players, the coach was seen as a “hero”, the witness said.
The coach, who it is worth remembering faces manslaughter charges, has remained calm throughout the proceedings. Occasionally, as witnesses struggled to recall specific details, a grin appeared on his face.
The trial is set to continue on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.
2023 incident: Trial begins for fatal knife attack at Esch-sur-Alzette football field
