Roma defender Chris Smalling and his family were victims of an armed robbery attack on Friday according to reports in Rome, the Italian capital.
Chris Smalling, his wife, Sam Cooke, and his two years son, Leo were said to be at their apartment in Southern Rome on Friday morning, April 15, 2021, when a gang of three armed robbers invaded their house with knives.
According to reports, the 31-year-old English center-back who is currently trying to recover from a knee injury, and his family were still asleep when the thieves stormed their home. A police report confirmed that the thieves gained access into the house around 5 a.m. on Friday but did not confirm how long the operation lasted.
Reports claimed that the gang forced Smalling to hand over expensive wristwatches, jewelry, and other valuables worth thousands of euros before they escaped from the footballer’s house.
Sam Cooke, the wife of the footballer, reportedly contacted the police who got to the scene of the crime when the robbers had gone away.
A police report confirmed that no one was harmed in the attack but Chris Smalling and his family were left distressed due to the attack. The police said an investigation into the attack had begun.
According to reports, Chris Smalling’s home is not the first home owned by a Roma team member that has been robbed in recent times. The first publicized attack involved the coach of the football club Paulo Fonseca who was not home when bandits invaded his home and stole valuables worth thousands of euros in November 2020.
Chris Smalling, his family, and football
Chris Smalling has been married to Sam Cooke since June 2017. The footballer and the model did their wedding near Lake Como in Italy. The marriage is blessed with a son in May 2019 and the boy is named Leo.
On August 30, 2019, the out of favor England international left Manchester United and joined Italian Serie A club, Roma, on a season-long loan. After the loan spell, he succeeded in getting a permanent deal with Roma.
Smalling who has made 14 Italian Serie A appearances for Roma so far this season said in an interview that he decided to move to Rome permanently because of how well he and his family have settled in the Italian city.
He is expected to remain a Roma player until June 30, 2023, a fixed date for the expiration of his current contract with the club.
