A criminal who has robbed famous footballers including Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema has revealed that he refrained from robbing Messi out of respect for the Argentinian.
In an interview with Spanish newspaper Sumario Abierto’s podcast, the thief who calls himself Alberto explained that he turned down several offers to rob Messi’s home.
“Many times I stopped people who wanted to rob Messi’s house, people who asked me to do it, but I couldn’t stop everyone… This time, I was able to do it and I’m very proud of it ,” said Alberto.
He also admitted that he may have robbed Macy’s parents’ house. “Not too long ago, like almost a year ago, there were other people who offered to buy a house, and although it wasn’t their house, it was their parents’ house, Messi’s family’s house. Messi was in Paris at the time. I went to see him because I I Knowing him very well and knowing this area very well, I didn’t want to do it, I didn’t do it out of respect for Messi, because I care, that’s all.”
Alberto was the leader of an Albanian-Kosovar gang that carried out a series of robberies at prominent homes in Spain and Portugal. In 2012, his gang robbed Johan Cruyff’s house in Barcelona.
The thief said he respected Messi’s success in football and good public image. “Messi is a role model for all of us,” he said. “He’s a great player and a great person. I don’t want to hurt him.”
Alberto’s comments surprised many fans. Some people praised the thief’s moral sense, while others criticized his behavior.
Messi has yet to comment on Alberto’s remarks.