01 November 2023 , 10:15
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Former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has been the victim of an attempted break-in for the third time since moving to Italy.
Smalling currently plays for Roma, having initially joined the club on loan in 2019 before making the move permanent the following year. The 33-year-old and his family initially lived in a hotel before moving to a house in the countryside, but the property has been repeatedly targeted by robbers.
According to Il Corriere dello Sport, a gang attempted to break into Smalling's house on Monday. The report states that they broke a window and tried to steal the safe before fleeing.
A separate report in the Daily Mail adds that neither Smalling, his wife Sam or their two children were inside the house at the time and that the gang were 'spotted by a member of staff and a surveillance camera linked to an alarm system'.
However, by the time police arrived at the scene the gang had fled. "Officers were called to the house on Monday night but the gang of intruders had already left," the Mail quote a police source as saying, with inquiries ongoing.
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The property was first broken into in April 2021 when three armed robbers forced Smalling to open the safe and made off with jewellery, a Rolex watch and other valuable items. Then in August that same year, two men were caught on CCTV breaking into the property's garden but the pair fled when they were confronted by members of staff.
Since joining Roma, Smalling has gone on to make almost 150 appearances for the Serie A side, helping them win the inaugural Europa Conference League in 2022. However, he has only played three games so far this season due to a chronic tendon injury.
Smalling rejected interest from the Premier League this summer to sign a new two-year deal with Roma that will see him remain in Italy until 2025. "It's an honour for me to renew my contract with this special club," he said at the time.
"I want to achieve a lot more and I want it to be with this team. I'm excited to start this new chapter with you all, and together, let's make history! Thank you."