Ex-Liverpool Goalkeeper Misses Champions League Clash Following Armed Robbery At Home
Former Liverpool goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi was forced to miss Villarreal's UEFA Champions League clash against Napoli on Tuesday after armed robbers reportedly held him and his family at gunpoint inside their home in Spain. The 36-year-old Hungarian was left shaken following the incident, which occurred just hours before Villarreal's 3-1 victory over the Italian side at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
According to GOAL, citing the Associated Press, four masked men carrying handguns broke into Gulacsi's residence in Puzol, north of Valencia, during the early hours of Tuesday morning. The goalkeeper was reportedly at home with his wife, Diana Vigh, and their children when the intruders entered the property.
The armed men allegedly threatened Gulacsi and forced him to surrender valuables from a locked safe. The ordeal lasted approximately an hour before the suspects fled the property in two luxury vehicles.
Fortunately, neither Gulacsi nor any member of his family sustained physical injuries during the incident. The Incident Forced Gulacsi To Miss Villarreal's Win Over Napoli However, the traumatic experience left the former RB Leipzig goalkeeper unable to participate in Villarreal's Champions League encounter later that evening.
Villarreal subsequently announced that the Hungarian would miss the match "due to personal reasons", with Brazilian goalkeeper Luiz Junior taking his place in the starting lineup. Spanish authorities have launched an investigation into the robbery, although no arrests had been made at the time of the report.
The total value of the items stolen from the property has also yet to be established. Despite Gulacsi's absence, Villarreal recorded an impressive 3-1 victory over Napoli, ending their 12-match winless run in the Champions League.
The result marked the Spanish club's first victory in Europe's elite club competition since April 2022. Gulacsi Joined Villarreal From Leipzig In The Summer Meanwhile, Gulacsi's ordeal comes just two months after he completed a move to Villarreal from German Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.
The experienced goalkeeper spent 11 years with Leipzig, establishing himself as one of the club's most dependable players and making over 350 competitive appearances. Before his successful spell in Germany, Gulacsi was on Liverpool's books between 2007 and 2013.
See Also:Eze Reveals Arteta's Half Time Talk That Inspires Arsenal Win Over Lille However, he never made a senior competitive appearance for the Reds, spending time on loan at Hereford United, Tranmere Rovers and Hull City. The Hungarian also represented his country on 58 occasions before announcing his retirement from international football in the summer of 2025.