Former Hungarian international Péter Gulácsi was left out of the matchday squad for the Spanish side Villarreal against SSC Napoli from Italy in the UEFA Champions League for a shocking reason.
The night before the game, on Monday, 12 October, a group of armed robbers broke into his home in Puçol, Spain. In a heinous act of crime, he and his pregnant wife were held at gunpoint by the robbers while they stripped the home of valuables.
Thankfully, the victims suffered no physical injuries. However, the psychological trauma suffered by Gulácsi made the experienced goalkeeper unavailable for the UCL game against Napoli—understandably so.
Villarreal representatives have told the Spanish press that they have notified the relevant authorities, and an investigation is already on the way. In February 2024, another Villarreal player, French midfielder Étienne Capoue, was the victim of a very similar incident.
Gianluigi Donnarumma, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Dele Alli are other famous footballers who have been targeted by armed robbers.
Péter Gulácsi left the German Bundesliga club RB Leipzig after 11 seasons this summer to join Villarreal. He was originally signed as a second-choice keeper behind Brazilian Luiz Júnior. However, Luiz Júnior’s shaky performances at the start of the season allowed Gulácsi to overtake his position in goal.
Gulácsi made a total of 58 appearances for Hungary, and retired from the national team in 2025, at age 35.
With Luiz Júnior back in goal, Villarreal beat Napoli 3–1 in the UEFA Champions League league phase game.
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