FC Barcelona is currently trying to discourage a number of its players from staying in the Catalan capital. Because the club, which is worth billions in debt, has to reduce its horrendous salary costs. Among the professionals to leave is former Bundesliga striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who joined Barça from Arsenal FC in London during the pre-season and has just been replaced by former Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, 34. Aubameyang, 33, is now probably considering staying longer on the Mediterranean coast – for reasons that shouldn’t have anything to do with the Barça club in the narrower sense.
Like the newspaper El País reported on Monday, Aubameyang was the victim of a robbery at his home in Castelldefels. Located a few kilometers from Barcelona, it is one of the preferred places of residence for Barça professionals. Not so long ago, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez lived there, and Barça’s German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen has also settled in Castelldefels.
According to preliminary information, at least four masked thieves entered Aubameyang’s property and threatened and assaulted the former Dortmund resident with firearms and iron bars. Aubameyang’s partner was harassed and forced to open the house’s safe, and the thieves apparently stole valuable jewelry. Witnesses reported that the perpetrators fled in an Audi A3. As the club also announced, the victims are doing well given the circumstances. According to media reports, the Aubameyangs moved to a hotel in Barcelona for the time being.
“The Flying Pole” was the headline in a newspaper after Lewandowski’s artistic goal
The Aubameyang raid was the biggest, but not the only, incident that made pupils dilate in Barcelona over the weekend. Ahead of Sunday night’s game against Valladolid (4-0), all eyes wandered up to the VIP box, where former world-class Brazilian striker and current Valladolid owner Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima – known as ‘the real Ronaldo’ – alongside the Barca president Joan Laporta had appeared. And national coach Hansi Flick was also spotted there.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is not having the best days of his footballing life at Barcelona.
(Photo: Gerard Franco/dpa)
While Ronaldo revealed his famous gap in his teeth, Laporta smiled rather wryly. The reason: He had a purple spot under his right eyelid, which was due to a “domestic accident”, as it was quickly said. Whether a cast-iron pan fell from the kitchen cupboard, whether Laporta ran into a door or whether he made acquaintance with a rolling pin – that remained open. At least Barcelona got away without violets on the pitch against the lavender-clad visitors of Valladolid.
On the one hand, this was due to goalkeeper ter Stegen, who, like in previous games, was always there when he was forced to make saves. And of course it was due to the executor Lewandowski, who recently also had to make acquaintance with the Catalan underworld – a luxury watch was stolen from his wrist while signing autographs.
With violets and prominent companions: the injured Barça President Laporta (middle) and the “real” Ronaldo (owner of Real Valladolid).
(Photo: David Ramos/Getty Images)
Lewandowski scored two goals on the pitch to make it 4-0. In the first (24th), older Barça fans were reminded of a legendary goal by Johan Cruyff against Atlético Madrid in 1973: Lewandowski jumped on the left post with the landing gear extended after an almost unreachable ball – and pushed it over the line with a karate kick. “The Flying Pole,” wrote El Mundo Deportivo about the center forward, who will soon return to Munich for the Champions League preliminary round. His second goal against Valladolid (the others came from Pedri and Sergi Roberto) was art at its best: he backheeled the ball into the net.
President Laporta and treasurer Olivé personally vouch for the salary of access Koundé
According to local custom, some debated whether this goal should really be credited to Lewandowski, as a defender’s leg was still attached. Of course, this was aimed at the Pole’s foreseeable duel with Karim Benzema for the title of league top scorer. The Frenchman also scored twice in Real Madrid’s 3-1 win at Espanyol Barcelona on Sunday. Benzema has scored three goals in the first three matchdays, one less than Lewandowski.
The former Munich player was showered with praise in the media, and his coach Xavi Hernández also enthusiastically agreed: It was “a blessing” to have Lewandowski in the team, he was a “real leader”. You could see that on the pitch. The goalscorer chatted with his teammates after every goal, including defender Jules Koundé, who was only able to register with the league the night before the game.
The Spanish League Association had resisted Koundé’s eligibility to play because of Barcelona’s precarious financial situation – until Laporta and treasurer Ferrán Olivé personally vouched for the Frenchman’s salary. According to the newspaper As, they contributed five million euros. The two hope to be able to replace the guarantees with Barça money soon – a sale of Aubameyang would help to achieve this.