28 February 2024 , 13:45
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Union Berlin defender Jerome Roussillon came to the rescue after team-mate Kevin Volland had his £160,000 watch stolen while on a night out.
Earlier this month, Roussillon, Volland and two women were out partying in the centre of Berlin following Union's much-needed 1-0 win away to Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. A 16-year-old man is said to have approached Volland around 3am near Rosenthaler Platz, an underground train station in the Mitte district, and started dancing to distract to him.
According to German newspaper Bild, Roussillon was just about to take a taxi home when he saw the the perpetrator manage to take Volland's watch, a rose gold Patek Philippe Nautilus which is valued around £160k. A brief scuffle broke out but the 16-year-old - who goes by several aliases, police say - managed to get away.
The two players ran after him in pursuit but Volland, 31, fell and slightly injured himself. Roussillon, though - who's renowned for his pace - was able to catch the thief in heroic fashion.
Although the watch ended up on the ground and badly damaged, the French left-back held the man until the police arrived. A statement from the cops read: "We are investigating the alleged perpetrator for serious theft and damage to property."
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Volland will owe Roussillon a drink or two the next time that they're out partying, with the 15-capped Germany international having been sent off during their win against Hoffenheim. Like defender Stanley Nsoki had been for the home side, Volland was shown a second yellow card in added time of the first half before Leeds United loanee Brenden Aaronson scored an 84th-minute winner.
Union - who qualified for the Champions League last season but failed to record a single win in the group stage - are now on a run of four games unbeaten, sitting eight points above the relegation play-off spot. The Berlin club's form has improved since the appointment of Croatian manager Nenad Bjelica, who replaced long-serving boss Urs Fischer following his sacking in November.
Kevin Volland was sent off against Hoffenheim before having his watch stolen in Berlin (Helge Prang/Getty Images)Bjelica made headlines in January after shoving Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane in the face, resulting in a three-match touchline ban. In his place stepped Marie-Louise Eta, who made history by becoming first woman to take charge of a men's team in the Bundesliga.
Eta, 32, firstly guided Union to a 1-0 victory over bottom side Darmstadt to boost their survival hopes. Since then, Berlin's so-called second side - despite rivals Hertha being mid-table in the second division - have lost to RB Leipzig but recorded vital wins against Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim as well as draws with Mainz and Heidenheim.