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| Barcelona's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a charity friendly soccer match between Barcelona and Manchester City at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort) |
A group of masked men broke into the house of Barcelona forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and attacked and robbed him early Monday, the club said.
Barcelona confirmed the incident and said the player and his
wife were doing well.
Authorities told the Spanish daily El País that Aubameyang
was hit and forced to open a safe where the couple kept jewelry. The attackers
allegedly threatened him and his wife with guns and iron bars.
Authorities said at least four men entered the player’s home
and then escaped in a car.
The 33-year-old Aubameyang, a Gabon international, signed
with Barcelona in the beginning of the year after long stints with Borussia Dortmund
in the Bundesliga and Arsenal in the Premier League.
Aubameyang did not play in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over
Valladolid in the Spanish league on Sunday evening. He is among the players
expected to be sold to another team so the club can clear salary cap space.
Two weeks ago, new Barcelona signing Robert Lewandowski had
a watch snatched from his arm as he arrived for practice at the club’s training
center.
It is not uncommon for soccer players’ houses to be robbed
in Spain, though the crimes usually happen when the athletes and their families
are away during matches. Among the reported victims in the past were Casemiro,
Álvaro Morata, Gerard Piqué, Samuel Umtiti, Jordi Alba and former Real Madrid
coach Zinedine Zidane.
Spanish police a few years ago dismantled a gang that had
been robbing players’ houses during games. -AP