Footballer charged with assault dispite the fact he was almost killed & was given potentially career threatening injuries?

Who came off worst is not really relevant to the offence and shouldn't be relevant to charging although defence lawyers use it to confuse juries. Say someone attacked you while you were minding your own business, and you broke his face defending yourself, you'd expect him to be charged with assault and not you.

If A attacks B, and then later B and C attack A in revenge then they could all be done for assault.

Charged?

He should be given a medal.

I'd be getting charged with murder if it had been me that found folk breaking into my house.