Antony's home burgled during Real Betis' Champions League win over Porto

The break-in during the match

Antony dos Santos, a forward for Real Betis, reported that thieves had entered his home in Seville while the team played Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday, 14 October. The match was played at La Cartuja and Betis won it 3-2. The Policía Nacional has opened an investigation after the player filed the complaint. He did not say which items were taken or what they were worth, and he did not say whether any family member was at home at the time. Europa Press reported the case on 15 October, and the player's account was published on his social media accounts.

What the player said

In a statement he shared on Instagram, Antony wrote that a night which was meant to be brilliant had turned into one of anger and frustration. He described the feeling of having his space invaded by someone who had no idea of the effort it takes to earn what they own. He also pointed to the insecurity his family felt in the place where they should feel safest, which he said hurt more than the material loss.

“A night that was supposed to be brilliant ended in rage, sadness and frustration.”

The statement was written in Spanish and Portuguese, and Europa Press noted he posted it on his social media accounts. Several Portuguese outlets carried the same text, which they translated for their readers.

Family over possessions

Antony played almost the whole match before learning what had happened at his house, according to LaVanguardia. Despite the loss, he wrote that what had been taken could be recovered, that his work continues and that his dreams remain. He said his greatest achievement had never been what he could buy, but the family that stands beside him. He also said he would start again from zero and rebuild everything as many times as necessary.

“There is no material good in the world worth more than life, peace of mind and the well-being of my family.”

Wider context from the same week

LaVanguardia placed the case alongside an armed robbery at the home of Hungarian goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, who plays for Villarreal. Gulacsi was at home with his family during that incident, and none of them were hurt. The same outlet reported that Gulacsi was ruled out of Villarreal's match against Napoli because of the robbery. No article links the two burglaries to a single group of offenders, and the sources do not describe any arrests in Antony's case.

Betis on the pitch

SAPO reported that the win leaves Real Betis with six points in the League Phase of the Champions League. Europa Press also noted that the club returned to the competition at home 21 years later, under coach Manuel Pellegrini. Betis' attention now turns to La Liga, where SAPO reported they host Barcelona, the league leaders, this weekend.