Inter Milan goalkeeper Josep Martinez has been involved in a road collision that struck and killed an 81-year-old man, while on his way to training.
According to reports in Italy, Martinez was driving to Inter’s training ground, in Appiano Gentile, when he struck the man, who was on his electric wheelchair, at 9.40am on Tuesday morning.
The incident happened on Via Bergamo in Fenegro, in the province of Como, and reports state that the elderly man had suffered a medical episode just before the impact that meant he was unable to avoid the oncoming traffic.
“The car driven by Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez hit a man who was in an electric wheelchair travelling on a cycle path alongside a road in the province of Como,” Italian police told the Reuters news agency.
"Martinez stopped his car in order to help the man who died before the arrival of the ambulance." Despite the arrival of the emergency services, including an ambulance and an air ambulance, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The goalkeeper is said to have been severely shaken by the incident but unharmed. Italian police are now carrying out an investigation Inter have subsequently cancelled the scheduled 1pm press conference with manager Cristian Chivu.
The Serie A giants are due to play Fiorentina at the San Siro on Wednesday evening and Martinez is currently their second-choice goalkeeper, behind Yann Sommer, having been on the bench for Saturday’s 3-1 loss to league leaders Napoli.
The 27-year-old has made two appearances this season, both coming in Serie A last month against Sassuolo and Cagliari, while Sommer’s other back-up for the No 1 shirt, Raffaele Di Gennaro, is out injured for a month after suffering a scaphoid fracture.
Martinez joined Inter from fellow Italian outfit Genoa in the summer of 2024, having made 36 appearances for Il Grifone in the 2023-24 campaign.
The Spaniard spent time in Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy during his formative years before getting first-team opportunities at Las Palmas and then moving to RB Leipzig in 2020, where he spent two years prior to joining Genoa.
Following the midweek clash with Fiorentina, Inter travel to Hellas Verona on Sunday and then host Kazkh side Kairat Almaty in the Champions League next Wednesday. A clash with Lazio is their final match before the November international break.
