The return of Spain’s most celebrated matador came to an eye-watering end this week – after he was gored in the rectum.
Morante de la Puebla – or ‘King of Bullfighters’ as he is known – was left sprawled in the dirt clutching his rear end after the 512kg bull named Clandestino quite literally ripped him a new one.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Morante, 46, said in a video shared with his Instagram followers: ‘I had a rather rough night.’
But adding insult to excruciating injury, many of the comments are filled with people taking Clandestino’s side.
Anna Nicolini posted: ‘No need to hurt animals. He stood up for himself and I’m happy he did. You shouldn’t do these sports nowadays.’
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Many others wrote simply: ‘Karma.’
Morante was injured at the Maestranza bullring in Seville on Monday.
He had already cleared three bulls when a fourth suddenly charged, El Mundo reports.
The bull’s horn bore into his rectum, tearing a 10cm wound to the posterior anal margin, partially damaging the sphincter muscles and perforating the rectum.
In his video to fans, he said: ‘I was in immense pain, felt a lot of fear because I saw the bull had grabbed me and, well, I thought I was bleeding.
‘By the time I got to the infirmary and saw that the bleeding was minimal, I relaxed quite a bit, but of course, it hurt a lot. Without a doubt, it was the most painful goring ever.’
He added: ‘I’ve gone through a pretty normal night of little sleep. I’ve got no appetite, and I’m hoping to get through it with, well, with a bit of patience.’
Morante is widely regarded as the premier matador of his generation and his comeback had garnered sold out crowds.
Antonio Lorca wrote in El País: ‘With unusual speed, the news spread like wildfire throughout the bullfighting world; not for nothing was the man on the operating table a special figure — the most outstanding bullfighter of the present day and one of the greatest in history.’
Morante is expected to remain in hospital for at least a week.
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