21 July 2023 , 09:24
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Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and his partner were attacked at their home by robbers on Thursday night.
Donnarumma is back in training with Paris Saint-Germain for pre-season and was at the club's newly-opened training base on Thursday for a session before travelling home to be with his partner, Alessia Elefante, with the duo having recently returned from holiday.
But they then endured a nightmare when criminals broke into their home in the dead of night and terrorised the couple.
Robbers broke open the door to their home before the duo were tied up, stripped and sequestered. The perpetrators then took goods worth around £432k (€500k) before fleeing the scene, Actu17 reported.
Remarkably, an injured and shaken up Donnarumma, and his partner, were eventually able to take refuge in a luxury hotel nearby at around 3.20am, where the hotel's staff then alerted police to the incident before administering first aid to the couple, who were in shock.
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The PSG star and his partner were taken to hospital for treatment, with the Banditry Repression Brigade of the Paris Judicial Police taking charge of the investigation. It was later found that the caretaker of the building they lived in was tied up.
The Paris prosecutor's office has confirmed an investigation has been opened.
"An investigation has been opened on charges of armed robbery in an organised gang and aggravated violence following the events that took place overnight at Mr Donnarumma's place," a spokesperson told the BBC.
Donnarumma had taken part in a training session before the incident (Baptiste Fernandez/Icon Sport via Getty Images)According to Agence France Presse, Donnarumma was lightly injured, while Elefante was unharmed. The prosecutor's also confirmed that the BRB was investigating, with the unit specialising in armed robbery and burglaries.
It is not the first time a PSG player has been targeted by gangs, though previous attacks have mostly taken place while the victim has not been home.
Last January, two men were jailed for a robbery in March 2021 at the home of Brazilian international Marquinhos. The defender had been playing at the time, though his father and two daughters were home.
Two men were also jailed following a robbery at the home of Angel Di Maria in March 2021. Di Maria had been playing when his house was broken into and he was subsequently substituted after news emerged.
Members of Di Maria's family were present during the robbery - where luxury watches, jewellery and cash worth £450,000 were stolen from an unlocked safe. Although Di Maria's wife and two daughters were present they did not come across any of the burglars.