Peter Gulacsi Misses Napoli Clash After Armed Home Robbery
Villarreal goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi was withdrawn from Tuesday’s Champions League squad after masked gunmen entered his home in Puzol, north of Valencia, while he was there with his family.
Armed robbery forces Gulacsi out of Napoli match
The 36-year-old Hungarian was at his residence with his wife, Diana Vigh, and their children when four intruders carrying handguns broke in on Tuesday morning. The ordeal reportedly continued for about an hour.
- Gulacsi was made to open a secured safe while being threatened with a firearm.
- The group took valuables before leaving in two high-end vehicles.
- No member of Gulacsi’s family was physically hurt, although the goalkeeper was left deeply distressed by the incident.
- Police have begun an investigation, with the suspects yet to be identified and the value of the stolen items still being assessed.
Villarreal announced before kick-off that Gulacsi was unavailable for “personal reasons”, with Luiz Junior selected to start in goal against Napoli.
Villarreal end historic Champions League run without a win
Despite the late disruption to their preparations, Villarreal beat Napoli 3-1 at the Estadio de la Ceramica. The result ended a 12-game Champions League winless sequence, the longest such run in the club’s European Cup history.
It was Villarreal’s first victory in the competition since April 2022, providing an overdue continental success on a difficult day for the squad. The club’s attention will now be on Gulacsi’s wellbeing as the police inquiry continues and ahead of his eventual return to domestic football.
A new chapter after Leipzig
Gulacsi only joined Villarreal in August, ending an 11-year spell with RB Leipzig in which he established himself as the German club’s first-choice goalkeeper. He made more than 350 competitive appearances during his time in Saxony.
- He represented Hungary 58 times before retiring from international football in the summer of 2025.
- His earlier career included six years at Liverpool after joining the club in 2007.
- He did not play a senior match for Liverpool, but gained experience on loan at Hereford United, Tranmere Rovers and Hull City.
