British Coach: "There Are Times When Family Comes Before Football"
Frequent Theft Crimes Targeting Famous Football Players Occur
England forward Raheem Sterling (28, Chelsea) hurriedly returned home ahead of the Senegal vs. Qatar World Cup Round of 16 match after hearing that a burglar had broken into his family home.
On the 4th (local time), British broadcaster BBC reported, "Sterling has left the England squad and is returning to London, UK," adding, "This is because an armed burglar broke into the house where his family lives."
That day, England defeated Senegal 3-0 to advance to the quarterfinals.
However, Sterling, a key forward, was not included in the lineup before the match, raising questions.
The England Football Association (FA) explained on Twitter that the reason for his exclusion was "a family matter."
According to BBC, the armed burglary occurred on the afternoon of the 3rd.
Sterling has a 10-year-old daughter and two sons aged 5 and 3.
England manager Gareth Southgate said after the match, "Sometimes family comes before football," and added, "We want to give Sterling some space. We will observe how the situation unfolds over the next few days."
Captain Harry Kane (Tottenham) said, "It's not easy to watch a teammate or friend deal with something like this," and expressed support, saying, "I believe Sterling will make the best decision for his family and himself."
BBC also reported that in November 2018, three burglars attempted to target Sterling's home in Cheshire, UK, but were arrested.
On the morning of the 3rd (Korean time), the Group H third match between South Korea and Portugal was held at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, during the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo is chasing the ball. ◆ 'Nalkangdu' also suffered theft in 2020... Theft of valuables and uniforms
Meanwhile, burglaries or thefts at famous football players' homes occur relatively frequently.
In March last year, burglars broke into the homes of two players from French professional football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) one after another. BBC reported at the time, "Midfielder ?ngel Di Mar?a's family home and defender Marquinhos' parents' home were recently burglarized."
Di Mar?a's family and Marquinhos' parents were unharmed, and all of them only realized their homes had been burglarized after the incident, BBC reported. French police launched an investigation, focusing on the possibility that the crime was committed by an organized criminal group.
Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, nicknamed 'Nalkangdu' by domestic football fans, also experienced theft at his home in 2020.
On the 9th (Korean time), British daily Daily Mail reported, "A burglar broke into Ronaldo's home in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal," adding, "The burglar entered through an open garage door and stole valuables along with a Juventus jersey signed by Ronaldo."
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