Troy Parrott moved to the Spanish club over the summer. Alamy Stock Photo
Seville
It is one of a number of robberies targeted at footballers in recent weeks in the region.
SPANISH POLICE ARE investigating a break-in at Troy Parrott’s home near Seville in Spain as he was playing for La Liga side Real Betis.
Local police have said they are confident they will catch the culprits who broke into Irish footballer Troy Parrott’s home near Seville while he was playing for his club Real Betis.
Several masked men were caught on CCTV entering and leaving the property last Saturday evening but it’s believed they left the home without taking any items.
Republic of Ireland international Troy, who only moved to southern Spain during the summer after signing for his new club from Netherlands side AZ Alkmaar, came on as a sub for the final 26 minutes during his team’s 5-2 home defeat to Barcelona.
The 24-year-old Dubliner is thought to have been alerted about the intrusion at his home on an upmarket residential estate called El Zaudin in the Aljarafe region just south of Seville by security staff who alerted cops.
The crime occurred three days after teammate Antony who signed for Real Betis from Manchester United, suffered a robbery at his nearby home while his team were playing in the Champions League against Porto.
On Monday night former Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico and his family were having dinner when a gang of masked men forced their way into his home in Bollullos de la Mitacion near Seville and threatened them with a gun.
Well-placed sources confirmed today the string of crimes they were still investigating included the one last Saturday when Troy Parrott’s home was targeted.
A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Seville said: “We are investigating a series of robberies at homes in the Aljarafe region of Seville over the past few days.
“No arrests have yet been made but we are confident we will catch the culprits sooner or later.
“The Aljarafe area is one which is susceptible to robberies of this type and several gangs have been arrested over other similar break-ins there in the past.
“The one that occurred on Saturday evening was what we call an attempted robbery because nothing was actually taken.
“I can’t say exactly what time it occurred or why nothing was taken as this information is something we want to keep back while the investigation is ongoing.
“Nor are we in a position at this stage to start talking about whether we think the intrusions that have been reported on recently in the Aljarafe area are being committed by the same gang.
“But we are on top of this and firmly believe we will end up apprehending those responsible.”
Former Fulham goalie Sergio Rico is understood to have been tied up during his terrifying experience at the hands of the armed intruders who broke into his home as he had dinner with his influencer wife Alba Silva, their two children Carla, two last month, and three-month-old baby son Sergio Jr, and his mother-in-law and a female maid.
Alba’s mum reportedly had a gun put to her head at the dinner table by one of the intruders while his accomplices ransacked the house and took valuables including cash, jewellery and designer handbags.
Alba admitted she was still deeply traumatised following Monday night’s violent break-in, saying in a post to her 255,000 Instagram followers the following day: “I’m still in shock after what happened, I am without words.
“But the only really important thing is that thanks to God our family is safe. Thank you to everyone for your concern.”
Sergio, who played for Fulham in the 2018-19 season on loan from Sevilla before joining Paris Saint-Germain, spent nearly three weeks in a coma and 36 days in intensive care after being hit by a mule cart and runaway horse in May 2023.