Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti and his family were victim of a burglary on Friday night, during which thieves made off with a safe after breaking in at around 6.30pm.
The burglars fled the scene when they were discovered by Ancelotti’s daughter, who was thought to be home alone at the time. Thankfully, no one inside the house was hurt in the incident.
Ancelotti, who was busy preparing his squad to face Fulham at Goodison Park in the Premier League this weekend, resides in the coastal Sefton borough of Merseyside and the Liverpool Echo reports that only the safe was taken as the criminals were disturbed as they rifled through the property.
A statement from a Merseyside Police spokesperson reads:
“We are appealing for information after a safe was stolen in a burglary in Crosby on Friday evening (12 February). We were called at 6.35pm to a report two males had entered a property on Hall Road East at around 6.30pm.
“The offenders were described as wearing black waterproof clothing, possibly with white writing on, and black balaclavas. The occupants of the house were unharmed.
“Officers attended and enquiries into the incident are ongoing. The property will be forensically examined and CCTV opportunities are being explored.”
Burglaries at the homes of footballers are sadly not uncommon, particularly in the north west. Players’ houses are often targeted when the thieves know they will be out at games, and Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City players have fairly regularly been victims over the years.
Steven Gerrard, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Fabinho, Dirk Kuyt, Pepe Reina, Peter Crouch, Dejan Lovren, Phil Jagielka, Romelu Lukaku, Wayne Rooney, Angel Di Maria, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez are among those who have been targeted in the past, each holding a very high public profile.
Gerrard’s wife was threatened at knifepoint and with the abduction of her children unless she handed over jewellery. The burglar in that incident was jailed for seven years in 2010. Meanwhile, the attempted break in at Di Maria’s family home is often listed among several key reasons he failed to settle at Manchester United, with his family left terrified by the ordeal.
On one occasion, two burglars that broke into the home of ex-United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak in 2020 had travelled all the way from Chile to target homes in wealthy Cheshire villages. They were caught and jailed when they tried to hit the Pole’s house a second time a week later.
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Source: 90min
