BARCA BREAK IN Barcelona star Nelson Semedo’s house burgled just hours before El Clasico with watches and jewellery nicked
BURGLARS targeted Barcelona star Nelson Semedo’s home just hours before Wednesday night's El Clasico.
Posted Thursday, December 19, 2019 by Thesun.co.uk
The 26-year-old’s property in Esplugues de Llobregat was broken into while he was with his team making the final preparations for the crunch clash with Real Madrid.
The home of Nelson Semedo was broken into just hours before El Clasico Credit: Instagram @NelsonSemedo50
The burglary occurred as police prepared for unrest in the build-up to the match and a feared pitch invasion by pro-independence supporters.
Both teams are staying in the same hotel ahead of the crunch game as part of unprecedented measures to try to make sure disruption is kept to a minimum.
The referee is also staying at the Hotel Sofia, a five-minute drive from Barcelona’s Nou Camp stadium.
A spokesman for the regional Mossos d’Esquadra police force in Barcelona confirmed they were investigating a burglary at a property in Esplugues de Llobregat near the city airport.
He was unable to offer any information on what if anything had been taken, although Spanish radio station Cadena Ser said valuables including watches and jewellery had been stolen.
Barca right-back Semedo learned the news after checking into the team hotel.
The former Benfica man recently welcomed his second baby - a son named Thiago - with partner Marlene into the world.
PATTERN OF RAIDS
In October several members of an Albanian-led gang, suspected of targeting at least three top footballers’ homes in and around Madrid, were arrested.
One of the footballers targeted by the gang was identified as on-loan Chelsea forward Alvaro Morata, whose wife Alice Campello was confronted by armed intruders in June while she was alone at their home north of Madrid with a nanny and one-year-old twins Alessandro and Leonardo.
A Champions League medal and passport belonging to Atletico Madrid’s Ghana-born star Thomas Partey was also said to have been recovered along with valuables during the suspects’ arrests.
Last month former West Ham striker Javier Hernandez’s new Spanish home was targeted by a burglar just two months after he signed for Seville.
A housekeeper prevented the intruder from getting in after calling police when she saw him trying to break into the property.
He fled before detectives reached the house, next to the Real Club de Sevilla Golf Course which was designed by Jose Maria Olazabal and lies between Seville and the nearby town of Alcala de Guadaira. The attempted break-in happened at the start of the Seville-Betis derby.
Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane and Barcelona stars Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti and Jordi Alba have also had their homes targeted by burglars.
Semedo was at the Hotel Sofia just five minutes away from the Nou Camp when he heard about the incident Credit: AP:Associated Press
Barcelona were making their final preparations for the rearranged Clasico with Real Madrid Credit: AFP OR LICENSORS
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