Athletic Bilbao forward Alex Berenguer and his wife were reportedly the victims of an attempted armed robbery at their home on Monday evening.
Spanish newspaper El Correo reported that three armed men broke into their villa in Mungia, a town in the Basque country.
The 29-year-old footballer was said to have fended off the balaclava-clad robbers by managing to close a glass door, preventing them from entering the home.
A gun was then reportedly pointed at Berenguer and his model wife Sofia Jem.
The attempted robbery came to an end, with Berenguer having been able to notify the police during the attack.
Spanish police have launched an investigation following the attempted robbery, with the thieves having fled the scene.
Alex Berenguer and his wife Sofia Jem, left, had reportedly been held at gunpoint during the attack at their home
Berenguer and Jem were reportedly unharmed, with police now investigating the incident
Berenguer reportedly fended off armed robbers after the attempted burglary at his home
Berenguer and his wife were both unharmed, with the pair yet to comment publicly following the incident.
The 29-year-old could potentially make his 200th appearance for Athletic Bilbao on Thursday in the Europa League against Viktoria Plzen.
The winger has scored 33 goals for the club having joined back in 2020.
He previously played for fellow LaLiga side Osasuna, having club through the club’s academy, while he spent three years at Torino in Italy.
Berenguer is the latest footballer to have been targeted by robbers in recent years.
Brighton player Valentin Barco’s home was burgled last month, days after his model and influencer girlfriend Yaz Jaureguy agreed to become his wife.
The break-in occurred at their new home in Seville, where Barco is currently plying his trade after being loaned by Brighton in his first season at the Premier League club.
Yaz Jaureguy, a 20-year-old Argentine model, had shared photos on social media following the break-in.
Berenguer has played for Athletic Bilbao since 2020 and is set to make his 200th appearance
Brighton star Valentin Barco and his fiancee Yaz Jaureguy were burgled in Seville last month
Influencer Jaureguy revealed that their house had been ransacked in a post on Instagram
Former Barcelona forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opened up on being attacked in 2022
Aubameyang, who now plays in Saudi Arabia, has been among several footballers to have fallen victims to armed robberies in recent years
Karim Benzema, Marcos Llorente, Federico Valverde, Samu Castillejo, Sergio Ramos, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Dani Carvajal are among stars who have been targeted while playing in Spain.
Earlier this month, Aubameyang recounted his psychological trauma after gunmen broke into his Barcelona home and assaulted him in front of his family back in 2022.
One assailant struck his chin using a glove packed with metal, breaking his jaw, and the violent episode left him with sleepless nights.
‘I was always thinking about this. I did so many nights like this: not sleeping at all, just thinking about that s**t. You have some nightmares. I’m a guy who, if I’m not sleeping well, I’m not going to give (a football team) what you expect from me, I’m not going to be at my best… Every time the kids are alone, they are scared,’ Aubameyang told the Athletic.
‘I made a mistake not talking to anyone. If I had someone to talk to, a therapist or psychologist, maybe it could have helped. But I didn’t want to do anything. To tell you the truth, I was lost.’
Real Madrid star Carvajal claimed ‘football players are an easy target’ for criminals, after his home was targeted weeks after Aubameyang’s in 2022.
Carvajal had called for greater protection following a ‘barrage of robberies’ targeting footballers.
