A fan of English football club Newcastle United was stabbed in Milan on Tuesday night.

On the eve of the Champions League clash between the Premier League club and AC Milan, the 58-year-old man was attacked by a group of seven to eight men and suffered a stab wound to his back and two to his arm, several Italian media reported in unison.

The man was taken to hospital after the incident. His condition was said to be stable. According to media reports, the 58-year-old was walking with a friend in Milan when the group attacked him. The incident happened around midnight in the popular Navigli nightlife district of the northern Italian metropolis. The family of the injured man wanted to visit him in Milan this evening, Sky Sport Italia reported.

The background to the crime is still unclear. Meanwhile, a special unit of the Italian police has started an investigation.

It is not yet known whether there was an altercation between the men before the incident and whether the crime is possibly connected to the Champions League match taking place that evening. Newcastle United and AC Milan were due to meet on Tuesday evening in the first matchday of the group stage.