Nicola Maggiotto in a coma in Barcelona: his parents await news from the hospital

BARCELONA – "It's hard, very hard. But we have to do this. Wait." Father Daniele Maggiotto and mother Loretta never leave the intensive care unit of the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona where for almost a week their son Nicola, the youngest, has been in a medically induced coma after the attack he suffered outside the Seasea beach club at Parc Forum.

Eyes shining, tiredness can be seen on the face and can be heard from the low, polite but experienced tone of voice.

The 21-year-old's father is the only one of the two parents who so far has taken it upon himself to try to restore the suffering of this family from Asolo, in the Treviso area, who suddenly found themselves in the worst nightmare of a child struggling to survive.

"We can only hope" says the father, who now prefers a bit of caution and silence after the many statements released in recent days, some of which in his opinion were misunderstood. Like those that the motive for the attack on his son was linked to the events in Ceuta and the disagreements between Rome and Madrid and therefore to a sort of hatred towards Italians.

He, a professional driver, and his wife, have been in Barcelona since mid-August to assist their son who is in a coma but in a stable condition that suggests some hope. The hospital team is also assisting them with the support of an interpreter and a psychologist.

Meanwhile, the investigations entrusted to the Mossos d'Esquadra of Badalona continue into what happened on the evening of Wednesday 12 August. Upon leaving the club, at around 10.20pm, Nicola is with his friends, all rugby players, and, according to what has been reconstructed so far, he is attacked from behind with a sharp punch on the back of the head. From that moment he never woke up again.

Friends say the attacker was part of a group of North Africans, probably second-generation Spaniards. The cameras of the club and the Esportif port are being examined by Catalan investigators to clarify this.