A player for the NASL's Ottawa Fury was attacked during a team plane trip to Atlanta on Friday.
According to the CBC, a man seated behind forward Oliver Minatel attempted to strangle the 22-year-old with the cord from the man's headphones before fellow passengers quickly intervened to thwart the assault.
"Somebody tried to choke one of our players, out of the blue, and it wasn't a fun moment ... and I think some of our guys are in shock, but now everything's back to order," Fury coach Marc Dos Santos told CBC News.
The team later released a statement regarding the incident.
Fury FC players and staff safe following incident on flight to Atlanta. Statement from Club - http://t.co/tk9lPzlpGc pic.twitter.com/yNbC8f4Eqk
- Ottawa Fury FC (@OttawaFuryFC) April 11, 2015
"The Ottawa Fury FC of the North American Soccer League today expressed thanks to the passengers and crew on an Air Canada flight this afternoon that came to the aid of a Fury FC player.
"The player, Oliver Minatel, was involved in an unprovoked incident which is now under investigation by law enforcement agencies in the U.S.," it concluded.
The Fury are in Atlanta for a Saturday night matchup with the Atlanta Silverbacks at Silverbacks Park.