Yves Bissouma, the Tottenham midfielder, was robbed of his £255,000 watch in Cannes after being tear-gassed by a gang posing as fans wanting a selfie.
The 27-year-old and his girlfriend were set upon by masked men at the five-star Majestic Barriere hotel in the early hours of Sunday morning.
As well as his high-value Richard Mille watch, the gang is said to have ripped three diamond rings off his unidentified partner’s fingers during the 4am attack.
A Tottenham spokesperson said in a statement: “We are aware of the incident that took place and we will continue to check on the welfare of Yves and his family.”
Police described how Bissouma initially attempted to escape inside the hotel but its doors were locked. “They were clearly part of a very well organised gang,” a local judicial police source told The Sun newspaper. “Both were waiting outside the hotel, and struck when the couple were dropped off by a chauffeur-driven limousine at about 4am. At first the men acted as if they wanted to pose for photographs with the star, but then it became clear they were wearing masks. The couple tried to get into the hotel, but were confronted with a locked door, and then gas was sprayed in their faces.”
The men escaped in a Renault Megane while Bissouma and his girlfriend were so shocked and dismayed by the attack that they returned to London within a few hours.
Such attacks are becoming increasingly common in upmarket resorts such as Cannes, with two watches worth around £200,000 each stolen during the film festival last month.
Bissouma’s lawyer Bastien Caire confirmed two hooded men attacked him with tear gas and took his watch before fleeing. Caire declined to comment further while an investigation is ongoing.
Bissouma joined Spurs from Brighton for £25 million plus add-ons in the summer of 2022 and made 28 appearances for the club last season.
