Former West Ham defender Nayef Aguerd found himself in a terrifying situation at Marseille-Provence airport on Sunday.
The Moroccan centre-back was settling into the VIP lounge, ready to fly out for international duty, when things took an unexpected turn.
A man approached the 29-year-old footballer with what seemed like rather innocent and innocuous intentions. He asked Aguerd for a photo and requested his phone number.
But the encounter quickly turned nasty when the individual became aggressive and attempted to slap the defender.
Nayef Aguerd, who currently plays for Marseille, found himself in a terrifying situation at Marseille-Provence airport on Sunday
|REUTERS
It's a shocking incident that could have ended much worse, but thankfully security staff were on hand to intervene swiftly.
The attacker raised his voice before making his move, but airport security personnel were quick to respond. Police officers immediately subdued the man and took control of the situation.
The swift intervention meant Aguerd escaped without injury, though the defender was understandably shaken by the ordeal.
The Moroccan made 61 appearances for West Ham during his three-year spell in east London
|PA
Authorities questioned the attacker at the scene, but with his flight to catch, Aguerd didn't have time to file a formal complaint before heading off to join his Morocco team-mates.
The incident happened as the defender was preparing to travel to Marrakesh for upcoming matches against Bahrain and Congo during the international break.
Aguerd took to Instagram on Tuesday to reassure everyone following the incident.
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"I want to reassure everyone following the information that has been circulating for the last few hours that I was indeed assaulted at Marignane airport while waiting for my flight to join the Moroccan national team," he wrote.
"Fortunately it was a scare more than anything else and everything was quickly resolved thanks to the intervention of security personnel and law enforcement.
"I'm doing well and I'm now focused on what matters most to me: playing for OM and representing my country with pride. Let's always be calm and respectful, life goes on."
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Nayef Aguerd took to his Instagram to confirm he was safe depsite the attack
|Aguerd's journey to Marseille came after two seasons at West Ham, where he made 61 appearances and scored four goals following his £30million move from Rennes in 2022.
The defender was part of the Hammers' Conference League triumph in 2023.
After a loan spell at Real Sociedad last season, Graham Potter decided the Moroccan wasn't part of his plans at the London Stadium.
Marseille snapped him up for around £20m this summer, with boss Roberto De Zerbi reportedly telling club officials to "stop everything" after seeing Aguerd during pre-season.
The French club currently sits second in Ligue 1, just one point behind PSG.