Philippe Coutinho endured a nightmare day off in Barcelona
- Jordan Russell (@JordRuss96)
As if his forced absence from Barcelona’s trip to face Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League last 16 was not bad enough, Philippe Coutinho endured what was a nightmarish 24 hours. Coach Ernesto Valverde gave the Brazilian star a day off, owing to the fact he is ineligible for Europe’s premier club competition.
The former Liverpool man opted to take a trip to the city centre with his family, but ended up having to pay a hefty parking fine after trying to stop too close to the Sagrada Familia. However, once he paid the charge at a nearby police station, he could not have imagined what lay in wait for him back home.
While out for the day, his house was burgled by thieves who had spotted an opportunity to take advantage of the fact it was left empty. Despite this, reports suggest nothing of significant value was stolen. Fortunately, his day did improve slightly when Lionel Messi scored a timely 75th minute equaliser against the Blues, having been 1-0 down thanks to Willian’s opener.