Away-day robberies: The footballers who have lost the most

It was recently reported that eight people have gone on trial over multiple thefts carried out in Paris against celebrities, including high profile footballers such as Thiago Silva and Marquinhos, in 2018 and 2019. The two Brazilians join an unwanted list of footballers whose homes have been targeted by criminals who track their social media posts and fixture lists to find the opportune moments to strike.

Interested in this, money.co.uk wanted to discover the value of luxury goods stolen from unlucky footballers. The team analysed previous reports into the thefts against footballers, which then allowed them to rank the footballers who are estimated to have lost the most.*

The most expensive footballer burglaries:

Money.co.uk can reveal that the footballer that has had the highest value in goods stolen from them is Memphis Depay. The Dutch star had his home raided while he was in action away in Nice with his losses reported at £1,300,000!

Coming in second is Thiago Silva with £1,000,000 taken. The Brazilian defender, who played for Paris Saint Germain at the time, returned home from a league game against Nantes to find his jewellery and luxury watches missing.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is third with £510,000 worth of valuables stolen. The forward, who also plays for Paris Saint Germain, was playing in a Champions League match against Liverpool in November 2018 when thousands of pounds of valuables were stolen from his apartment.

Coming in joint fourth with £500,000 worth of goods taken is Mamadou Sakho and Riyad Mahrez. Both players were away with their respective clubs when their luxury pads were raided by burglars.

Completing the top five is Angel Di Maria. The Argentinian forward was substituted during a league match against Nantes after reports that his house had been robbed. The thieves succeeded in their attempt and took off with a vault, jewellery, and expensive watches, which came to a total of £428,250.

Commenting on the importance of insuring your goods, personal finance expert Salman Haqqi at money.co.uk said:

“The growing list of professional footballers being targeted by thieves when they are playing matches or away on international duty is becoming a disturbing trend. Criminals often use social media to figure out where professional footballers live, as many professional players show off their luxurious items on their social feeds.

“Many insurance policies offer to replace your contents if they have been damaged or stolen with a like for like replacement. If the exact item is no longer available, your insurer should pay out for you to buy a new similar model. The items that are usually covered in a contents insurance policy range from TVs and jewellery to beds and kitchen utensils.

“It’s clear to see that no matter what your profession, home contents insurance is vital to keep your personal belongings protected.”