Tripped By Hungarian Journo, Child Walks Ronaldo Out in Real’s Tie

The Syrian father and his son who were tripped by the journo were Real Madrid’s special guests on Saturday.

Zaid and his family were invited to Real Madrid’s game against Granada on Saturday. (Photo: Reuters)

Remember this video?

A Syrian refugee and his little son were tripped by a Hungarian journalist as they tried to flee the police while trying to cross the border town of Röszke in Hungary. The incident was caught on camera, condemned internationally and the journalist fired.

But what happened to the family?

Osama Abdul Mohsen and his sons Zaid and Mohammad were trying to find a new home, running away from their native Syria. And while the incident at the Hungarian border may just have been one of many that they suffered along with thousands of other refugees seeking asylum across Europe, that one video has changed their lives.

Mohsen and his two sons, aged 7 and 18, are now living in Spain after a local football academy tracked them down and offered to help rebuild their lives.

Before working or anything, I want to gather my family, because now we are all spread out and I just want to see us all together again and try to live happily here.
– Osama Abdul Mohsen

A former coach of Syrian first division team Al-Fotuwa, Mohsen’s background in the sport is expected to help him land a job at a local club. However, that’s not where the Spanish hospitality ended for the Syrian, whose wife is still stuck back in Turkey.

Spanish football club Real Madrid invited the family over to their home stadium for a match on Saturday.

Syrian Osama Abdul Mohsen sits with his son Mohammad ahead of the Spanish La Liga match between Real Madrid and Granada at the Santiago Bernabeu. (Photo: AP)

Mohsen’s youngest son, Zaid in fact even accompanied Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo onto the pitch before the team’s Spanish league fixture against Granada.

The young man received applause from the Santiago Bernabeu crowd even as the players wore T-shirts supporting the thousands of refugees fleeing to Europe from the Syrian war.

Zaid, 7, son of Osama Abdul Mohsen smiles as he stands next to Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against Granada. (Photo: Reuters)

The academy that is helping Mohsen pay for his lodging, is now also working with local authorities to try and get his wife and the rest of his family to join them in Spain.