German police have arrested the man who attacked and injured Ghana star Kevin-Prince Boateng on Christmas Day and the person has been revealed as a close friend of his ex-wife Jennifer.
Boateng, a midfielder for German club side Schalke, was attacked by an unknown assailant on the street in the German town of Kaarst as he emerged from his ex-wife's house to visit and present Christmas gifts to his son.
The police have now nabbed a 28-year-old-man who physically attacked the Ghana World Cup star and said he is a close friend of Jennifer.
“We have been able to identify him because of statements of the victim and witnesses,†Arnold told the Bild.
“And we handed over the case to the prosecutor for further processing. They are now charging the suspect for assault.â€
It is now suspected that Jennifer sponsored the attack on Boateng out of jealousy as the Ghana midfielder has moved following their acrimonious divorce by dating and impregnating glamour star Melissa Satta.
Boateng went to a local hospital after suffering bruises to his ribs, back and neck following the shock attack which was witnessed by many.
The attack took place in broad daylight (at around 12:45 p.m.) and police sought witnesses, helping them to identify the attacker.
The German-born Ghanaian international only recently returned to the Bundesliga (German first division), having joined Schalke from AC Milan in late August.
The switch ended a three-year stay with the Italian giants, during which he rose to on-and-off-field prominence as a talented playmaker and anti-racism campaigner. He also had previous spells in the Premier League with Tottenham and Portsmouth.
Sandwiched in-between those two English stops was a one-year stint with Borussia Dortmund — Schalke’s fierce local rivals.
It’s also worth noting that his half-brother, Jerome Boateng, is a regular starter for Bayern Munich and Germany’s national team.
The Boateng brothers will face off in Bundesliga play in March and at the World Cup in June.
It’s unknown whether any of these factored into the attack, but police are leaving nothing to chance.