A Nigerian footballer, Chinonso Jeremiah Obi, has been hospitalised after he was reportedly stabbed in an attack suspected to be racially motivated in Lithuania.
Obi, who plays for FK Dainava, was attacked on Tuesday. The Lithuanian Football Federation confirmed the incident in a statement, describing it as a “manifestation of racism” and noting that the suspect had been arrested by the police.
According to the federation, the incident occurred in Alytus while the club was preparing to travel to Tauragė for a league fixture against FK Tauras in the country’s second-tier league. The match has since been postponed.
Condemning the attack, the federation said the incident was disturbing and tarnished the image of the European nation.
It stated, “What happened in Alytus goes beyond any limits of humanity. The person attacked is not only a player, but also a young individual who came to Lithuania to pursue a career, represent his club and contribute to its success.
“Such incidents send a dangerous message to the international football community, and it is deeply unfortunate that individuals in our society can behave in such an unpredictable manner in broad daylight.”
The President of the Lithuanian Football Federation, Edgaras Stankevičius, also condemned the attack, stressing that racism should not exist in football or society.
He said players must feel safe regardless of their nationality, skin colour, or background, adding that football should serve as a force that unites people rather than dividing them.
Obi, a 20-year-old forward, joined FK Dainava in February 2025 and made his first appearance of the season last Saturday in a 3–3 draw against FK TransINVEST.
The incident adds to recent cases involving Nigerian players facing racist abuse in Europe. In February, Tolu Arokodare was racially abused on social media after missing a penalty during Wolverhampton Wanderers’s defeat to Crystal Palace in the English Premier League.
