Villarreal Goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi Misses Napoli Clash After Armed Robbery at Home

Villarreal goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi missed the club's Champions League game against Napoli on Tuesday after armed robbers broke into his home in Spain just hours before kick-off.

Four masked men with handguns forced their way into the 36-year-old's luxury house in Puzol, north of Valencia, while he was inside with his wife, Diana Vigh, and their children, according to The Associated Press. Villarreal said before the game that Gulacsi was out "due to personal reasons", and Luiz Junior played in goal instead.

The ordeal lasted about an hour on Tuesday morning. The gang made Gulacsi open a locked safe at gunpoint and hand over his valuables, then drove off in two luxury cars. Nobody in the family was physically hurt, but the keeper was badly shaken. Police have opened an investigation and the suspects are still on the run. Officers are also working out how much was taken.

The club's main focus now is helping Gulacsi get over the shock. Villarreal will wait for news from the police before he is back in action in La Liga.

Péter Gulácsi is unavailable today due to personal reasons.

— Villarreal CF English (@VillarrealCFen) October 13, 2026

The scare is an unwelcome start to life in Spain for the Hungarian, who joined Villarreal in August after 11 years as Leipzig's first-choice keeper. He played more than 350 games for the German side. He also won 58 caps for Hungary before stepping away from international football in the summer of 2025.

Before his time in Germany, Gulacsi spent six years at Liverpool from 2007 and never played a senior game for the club. He had loan spells at Hereford United, Tranmere Rovers and Hull City.

On the pitch, Villarreal still got the job done without him. They beat Napoli 3-1 at the Estadio de la Ceramica and finally ended a run of 12 Champions League games without a win. It was their first win in the competition since April 2022, and it brought an end to the worst winless streak in the club's European Cup history.