The homes of Angel Di Maria and Marquinhos' father, two of the stars of PSG, were burgled on Sunday evening.

A news item far from isolated, since footballers have become prime targets in recent years.

Florent Balmont, victim of a violent burglary when playing in Lille, testified on Europe 1. 

TESTIMONY

The defeat of PSG against Nantes (2-1) was relegated to the background by a news item.

The homes of Angel Di Maria and Marquinhos' father, two of the Parisian stars, were burgled on Sunday evening, during the Ligue 1 meeting. Jewels and watches were stolen from the Argentinian player, for an estimated damage of 500,000 euros.

Marquinhos' father, present at the time of the incident, was struck in the ribs by the burglars, while the player's two sisters, aged 13 and 16, were also at the scene.

In recent years, burglaries targeting Ligue 1 footballers have increased, from PSG to OM via Metz.

Former midfielder Florent Balmont was the victim, when he had just moved to Lille.

He recounted this traumatic experience on Tuesday morning on Europe 1. 

>> Find the morning show of the day in replay and podcast here

"My wife was on the ground and my daughter saw it all" 

In 2008, Florent Balmont was transferred from Nice to Lille.

The community has just moved to the North when men force the front door of his home in the middle of the night.

"There were three of them, hooded, all in black. You see that in the movies," he recalls.

The burglars then attack him, in front of his wife and daughter.

"I had the gun to my head for ten minutes. My wife was on the floor and my daughter saw it all from her room."

Assessment for the former midfielder: three stitches, a stolen luxury car and a traumatized family.

"We all slept in the same room after the burglary. We had security with us, but we could not continue to live like that. Two months later, we moved," says the 2011 French champion with Lille, who replayed the same evening after the fact. 

Clubs organize themselves to help players 

In recent years, burglaries have increased in Ligue 1. One of Florent Balmont's teammates, who suffered the same fate, had even resolved to leave Lille.

This season, the homes of three Dijon players were visited.

The Reims goalkeeper was also broken into.

To counter this worrying phenomenon, the Champagne club offers its players advice on how to better secure their home and to thwart a spinning. 

In Angers, the gendarmerie, which organizes rounds, has the address and numbers of each player.

Because the psychological impact of a theft is significant.

In 2015, when several of his players had been victims of a gang of burglars, Metz was relegated to Ligue 2.