Ruben Dias and Maya Jama subject to “away day gang” burglary at Cheshire home – Manchester City issue response | OneFootball

Manchester City defender Ruben Dias was the subject of a burglary at his home address in Cheshire this week, the Club have confirmed.

The incident is the latest added to a growing list of high-profile Premier League footballers being targeted while away on professional duties – a concern that has repeatedly surfaced across the English top-flight in recent seasons.

Manchester City players both past and present such as Joao Cancelo and Jack Grealish have previously been subject to attacks on their home addresses, with the former physically assaulted during a raid in late 2021.

For City, the timing of the incident is especially unsettling given Ruben Dias’ importance within Pep Guardiola’s defensive unit and the club’s ongoing campaign. The Portugal international has been a constant in major fixtures, and his leadership role makes off-field disruption an unwelcome distraction at a crucial stage.

As first reported by The Sun newspaper, Maya Jama and Ruben Dias have been left ‘heartbroken’ after an “away day” gang ‘ransacked’ their home on Wednesday night, with jewellery, electronics and clothes stolen.

Jama was filming for Love Island in South Africa while Dias was present at Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League clash with Galatasaray at the Etihad Stadium, returning home just after 11PM to ‘discover rooms upturned before calling 999’.

A Cheshire Police spokesperson told The Sun, “Shortly after 11.10pm on Wednesday 28 January, police received reports of a burglary at an address in Alderley Edge.

“Officers attended and found entry had been made to the property and a number of items had been stolen. Enquiries are currently ongoing.”

Responding to reports and confirming the incident during a Manchester City press conference on Friday afternoon, assistant head coach Pepijn Lijnders told the media, “We try to support him as a Club, of course.”

“I didn’t speak with him personally at the moment,” he continued. “These other things, you don’t want to happen. So we will support him, and we’ll see how it goes from there.”

From a footballing perspective, Manchester City will be hoping the situation does not impact Ruben Dias’ availability or focus, particularly with a demanding run of fixtures ahead domestically and in Europe, and they will put every measure in place to support the defender.

Pep Guardiola’s staff and those elsewhere within the football club are known to prioritise player wellbeing, and any additional measures required are expected to be put in place swiftly.

More broadly, the incident is likely to reignite calls for enhanced security solutions for top-level footballers, especially during matchdays when properties are known to be unoccupied. For now, the focus remains on supporting Dias and allowing an investigation to continue, while City aim to keep on-field matters firmly on track.