The early hours of Monday saw a violent armed robbery at the residence of Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Spanish club reported.
“He is ok now, scared but ok,” a Barcelona source told AFP, confirming press reports.
According to the newspaper El Pais, at least four men broke into his home in Castelldefels, close to Barcelona, through the garden and threatened him and his wife with firearms and iron bars before hitting him.
After forcing the Gabon International to unlock a safe and taking the gems that were inside, the criminals got away in a car, according to the newspaper.
Despite confirming that they were looking into a violent robbery in Castelldefels, a Mossos d’Esquadra spokesman refused to identify the victim, citing privacy laws.
“The investigation remains open and we are gathering information,” she told AFP.
The incident occurs as Chelsea has expressed interest in Aubameyang returning to the Premier League.
He left Arsenal for Barcelona in February after allegedly having a falling out with Mikel Arteta, the manager of the Gunners, over disciplinary issues.
Several prominent footballers have been the targets of robberies in Spain, however the majority of these break-ins take place while the stars are on the field.
Six people were detained by police in June in connection with the three million euro break-in at the home of former Brazil striker, Ronaldo.
Marco Verratti, a midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain, was staying at Ronaldo’s home in Ibiza but was out when the robbers broke in and stole jewelry and cash.
Additionally, earlier this month, authorities found the watch that Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski had lost while he signed autographs prior to a training session.
