Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes’ home in Cheshire, England, was burgled while he was in Italy with his club for a match against Como, the BBC reports on Thursday.
The burglary occurred on Wednesday evening, October 21, while the 32-year-old midfielder was away for Manchester United’s game against the Italian side.
According to the BBC, Fernandes’ family were not at home when the intruders broke in, and the suspects spent less than five minutes inside before police arrived.
Cheshire Police confirmed to the BBC that officers responded to reports of suspicious activity after a caller reported seeing “three unknown men in the rear garden of a neighbouring property”.
The police confirmed that a burglary had occurred at the address but said they could neither confirm nor deny the identity of the victim.
Detective Inspector David Jarvis of Macclesfield Proactive CID said the investigation was at an early stage.
“The investigation is in its early stages at this time, and we’re committed to doing all we can to trace the people responsible,” he said.
The BBC also reported that Manchester United were supporting Fernandes following the incident.
The burglary is the latest in a series of incidents involving footballers’ homes being targeted while they are away with their teams.
Manchester City midfielder Ruben Dias and his former girlfriend, Maya Jama, were victims of a similar burglary while Dias was away for a Champions League match against Galatasaray in January.
Other footballers whose homes have been burgled in the same area include Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez.
United lost 4-1 to Como on Wednesday.
