Pep Guardiola has expressed his relief that Jack Grealish‘s family was unharmed during a terrifying raid on their home while Manchester City played at Everton on Wednesday night – with the star available to play on Saturday.
£1million worth of jewellery was stolen during the burglary which saw Grealish’s fiancee Sasha Attwood and other family members ‘hit panic buttons’ to alert the police.
Grealish was informed about the raid by City’s head of player support and protocol Manel Estiarte after the final whistle of City’s 3-1 Goodison Park victory.
Concern was etched on the player’s face as he rushed down the tunnel to the dressing room.
Speaking on the matter for the first time, City manager Guardiola said: ‘The family was inside, it is what it is today, modern days, with many things happening.
Pep Guardiola expressed his relief Jack Grealish’s family were unharmed during a terrifying raid on their home during Manchester City’s win over Everton on Wednesday night
Grealish’s fiancée Sasha Attwood was amongst 10 relatives inside the house at the time. Pictured: Jack and Sasha on the pitch after Manchester City’s Champions League success
Jack Grealish pictured with his fiancée Sasha Attwood (second left), father Kevin (left), mother Karen (second right) and grandmother Margret (right) in 2015
‘It was a bad moment for him and his family but fortunately the family was not damaged [harmed].’
City play at home to Sheffield United in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon and Guardiola didn’t say Grealish would be taking any time away.
Guardiola said defender John Stones was the only addition to the absentee list after he went off during the Everton win.
It is thought 10 relatives – including Grealish’s fiancée Attwood, parents, two sisters and brother – were watching the match before being alerted by barking dogs and noises upstairs.
The family were forced to run and hide for cover inside the £5.6million mansion that Grealish only moved into before Christmas, while police told neighbours to lock their doors and stay in their homes.
Police, fearing they could face a potential hostage situation, rushed to the scene and even had a helicopter search the area, but the offenders were able to escape with £1m worth of jewellery.
A source told the Sun: ‘The family are really shaken. The gang took a lot of watches and jewellery.
‘They executed their raid when Manchester City were playing live on TV and all his family had gathered downstairs to cheer him on.
‘No one was injured but there was a lot of panic. Everyone was terrified as they were all so vulnerable.
Is this the moment Manchester City star Grealish was told about the terrifying raid on his home, with his family inside, at the end of Wednesday night’s win over Everton
Man City’s head of player support and protocol Manel Estiarte drags Grealish away to have a conversation with him
Estiarte potentially informs Grealish about the raid on his home while he has been playing
Grealish was shaking hands with City team-mates and Everton players at the end of City’s 3-1 win when Estiarte intercepted him
The England star looks concerned as he rushes away down the tunnel at Goodison Park
‘It’s an enormous property, so it is understandable why no one heard anything at first. It was also the first time the family had visited so they were unfamiliar with the property.
‘When the dogs went mad, and they could hear people creeping about, they pressed the security panic alarm’.
Mail Sport’s Jack Gaughan reports that, after City’s 3-1 win at Goodison Park, Grealish did dash down the tunnel at the end of the game, which looked unusual.
The England international played the full 90 minutes as Pep Guardiola’s side stormed to a victory against the Toffees on Wednesday.
Estiarte is a key member of Pep Guardiola’s backroom staff at the Etihad Stadium.
He is a former Olympic water polo champion and a trusted confidant of Guardiola throughout his time with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now City.
The 56-year-old Catalan, who won gold for Spain at the 1996 Atlanta Games, is essentially Guardiola’s eyes and ears around the club, serving as a vital link between coach and squad.
Grealish’s childhood sweetheart Sasha (pictured with him) and his family were watching him on the television when the burglary took place
Jack Grealish’s fiancée Sasha Attwood and his mother Karen Grealish watch on as he is unveiled as Manchester City’s latest signing in August 2021
Estiarte also closely monitors the media coverage of Guardiola and has been known to personally intervene, especially with Spanish journalists who are based in Manchester.
Estiarte can often be seen sitting at the back of press conferences to offer Guardiola support when needed and can be found on the bench during games.
On Thursday morning £100million player Grealish was seen looking at the paths around the property, which had a new security fence installed around it shortly after he moved in this year.
The seven-bedroom mansion is set in 24 acres of land, and contains a helipad, tennis court, full-sized football and cricket pitches, as well as a lake.
A van belonging to a private security firm was also seen outside the house on Thursday, while police officers were spotted leaving the property and knocking on the doors of neighbours.
Grealish was playing in City’s 3-1 away win against Everton on Wednesday night during the time of the break-in
A spokesperson for Cheshire Police said: ‘At around 9.50pm on Wednesday December 27 police were called to reports of a burglary.
‘The caller reported that a number of items had been stolen.
‘Officers supported by police dogs and National Police Air Service were deployed and searches were conducted in the local area but there was no trace of the suspects.
‘No arrests have been made at this time and enquiries are ongoing.
‘Anyone with any information in relation to the incident is asked to contact Cheshire Police on 101 quoting IML 1722738.’
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