Ciro Immobile has been taken to hospital after a tram hit the Italy international's car with his children inside.
Lazio captain Immobile was driving in Rome with his two daughters on Sunday morning when a tram "ran a red light," he claims. Distressing images of the 33-year-old striker's wrecked Land Rover SUV quickly emerged on social media before he told AGTW: "The tram ran a red light. Luckily I'm fine, my arm just hurts a little."
His club later released a statement confirming he had suffered back and rib injuries. Immobile and his daughters were taken to hospital but not seriously injured.
A statement published on Lazio’s official website read: “The medical staff of Lazio announces that, today, following a road accident, the footballer Ciro Immobile reported a sprain trauma of the spine and the compound fracture of the XI right rib.
“Conditions are currently good. The player remains under observation at the department of emergency medicine directed by Professor Francesco Franceschi of the Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS in Rome.”
Immobile was driving near Ponte Matteotti, which is just five minutes from the Stadio Olimpico, Lazio's famous home ground. It's reported that the Italian star also accompanied an injured person to an ambulance, kindly asking after their condition and checking they were okay.
The incident comes just two days after Immobile ended his six-game goal drought by scoring a penalty in Lazio's 3-0 victory over struggling Spezia. The result lifts the Rome giants to second in the league table, although Maurizio Sarri's men still trail champions elect Napoli by a whopping 14 points.
Immobile is renowned as one of the greatest goalscorers in Serie A history, with 192 strikes in 314 games. He made his name as a youngster with Pescara and Genoa before moving to Torino, where he bagged an impressive 23 goals during his one and only season with the Turin side.
That form earned him a move to German behemoths Borussia Dortmund, as Jurgen Klopp identified him as a replacement for departing talisman Robert Lewandowski. Unfortunately for Immobile, he struggled in the Bundesliga and was shipped out on loan to Sevilla the following term.
He endured similar troubles in southern Spain and after a brief spell back at Torino in 2016, Lazio snapped him up that summer for a fee worth just over £7million. He's proven to be an absolute bargain, scoring a superb 194 goals over 289 apparances in all competitions.
Lazio are due to face Torino at the at the Stadio Olimpico next Saturday, but it's unknown whether Immobile will be healthy enough to feature. A second-place finish would see Sarri and co feature in the Champions League group stage for only the second time in 16 years.
