It seems like airports are becoming a strange place for professional footballers lately. Just recently, Memphis Depay had his passport stolen in Brazil. That mishap stopped him from linking up with his Dutch national teammates. Now, we’ve got another odd story, this time involving Nayef Aguerd, the defender who plays for Marseille.
Aguerd, who is 29, found himself in a really uncomfortable situation at Marignane Airport in France. He was getting ready to fly to Morocco to join his national squad. Like Depay, his travel plans hit an unexpected snag, though this one was far more personal.
The incident happened while Aguerd was relaxing in the airport’s VIP Lounge. A person, described by witnesses as acting erratically, came up to him. This individual wanted to take a photo and asked for the player’s phone number. What started as a weird fan interaction quickly turned sour.
Without warning, the person tried to hit the Moroccan center-back. Airport authorities were right there and stepped in immediately. They quickly dealt with the situation, preventing any actual harm.
Aguerd, who moved to Marseille this season from West Ham, decided not to press charges. He had a tight schedule, needing to join the Atlas Lions. His team, the Moroccan national squad, is set to play Bahrain on Thursday. Duty called, and he put the strange airport encounter behind him.