Barcelona’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the victim of a robbery at his house during the early hours of Monday, suffering minor injuries during the incident.
According to media reports, both Aubameyand and his wife suffered minor injuries when they were forced to open a safe containing jewellery and other valuables. Both the club and the striker are yet to confirm the news themselves.
The police also noted that this is the second time in just over a month that Aubameyang has been the target of a robbery although the player and his family were not home the first time when his home in Castelldefels, a suburb in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, was broken into.
The homes of Gerard Pique, Ansu Fati, Jordi Alba, Samuel Umtiti and Coutinho have also been robbed in the past during games when the players and their families are away.
Footballers being the targets of attacks from robbers is quickly becoming a trend in Spain and other parts of the world. Similar incidents have also been reported among players in Madrid, Seville and Valencia in Spain.
In December, Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo was also assaulted at his home in England, and Benfica defender Nicolas Otamendi was attacked during a robbery at his home in Portugal.
Many clubs and players are now hiring personal security details to curb the trend.
Aubameyang joined Barcelona in January but has been linked with a move away after seeing his playing time decrease substantially due to the arrivals of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha as well as Ansu Fati regaining fitness.
Whether or not this incident changes his mind, remains to be seen.
