TURKISH club Fenerbahce said assailants fired shots at midfielder Mehmet Topal while he was driving yesterday but the player escaped the attack unhurt.

The club said the player was targeted while driving home from training. The shots hit his bullet-proof windscreen.

The assailants escaped and the motive for the attack was not known.

In April, shots were fired at Fenerbahce’s team bus while traveling to the airport from an away game in the northern city of Trabzon. The driver was hit in the face and hospitalised. Football authorities suspended league and cup matches for a week following the incident.

“This was a terrorist attack,” the club said in a statement. “We condemn these armed attacks on our players and club and hope justice will prevail.”

It is the second attack in a week in Europe, with the bus of German club Hertha Berlin being shot at on Sunday before a cup match. Fortunately, no-one was on the bus at the time.

General manager Michael Preetz said after the attack: “It was one shot but we cannot say what the motivation was.

“The bus driver immediately called the police and now the search is on for the culprit.

“This was an attack on life and limb and not a trivial matter. It’s simply madness.”