The family of the Liverpool fan who was attacked by a pair of Roma supporters prior to the first leg of the Champions League semi-final have released a statement detailing their devastation over the incident and hoping the victim will fully recover soon.
Sean Cox, a 53-year-old Liverpool supporter from Meath, Ireland, is in critical condition after he was attacked prior to the match at Anfield on Tuesday, suffering head injuries.
Cox is being treated at a local hospital, while his alleged attackers, Filippo Lombardi and Daniele Sciusco, 20 and 29 respectively, were charged following the incident, which happened outside The Albert pub near Anfield.
Thursday, the family of Cox released a statement on the Merseyside police’s website speaking to their devastation over the attack, and hopes that he will make a full recovery.
The statement says: "We want the world to know that Sean is the most amazing and wonderful husband, dad, friend, son, uncle, and brother and he has brought us all nothing but joy. He is a truly decent man who adores Liverpool FC and just came over from his home in County Meath, Ireland, to watch his beloved team.
"We are completely devastated by what has happened to our lovely, caring, Sean and all we want is for him to come home to his loving wife and three children.
"We hope Sean makes a full recovery from the injuries he sustained and that we will all be back together soon as a family in Ireland spending precious time together."
Lombardi and Sciusco appeared in court Thursday. Both have both been charged with violent disorder, while Lombardi is also facing a charge of "wounding/inflicting grievous bodily harm".
The pair were remanded into custody and will appear in Liverpool Crown Court May 24.
Liverpool will hold an “extraordinary” meeting with representatives from Roma, UEFA and local police in order to ensure the safety of supporters traveling to Italy for the second leg on Wednesday.
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