It was already the worst week of Bruno Fernandes' season — and then he got home.
While the Manchester United captain was in northern Italy publicly tearing into manager Michael Carrick after a 4-1 demolition by Como, three masked individuals broke into his £4 million ($5.4 million) mansion in Nether Alderley, Cheshire. The break-in happened at 8:30pm local time on Wednesday. Fernandes was still on the plane back when it was already done.
How they got in — and out
A neighbour spotted the three men acting suspiciously and called police. The intruders had climbed over the rear garden fence, which backs onto woodland — a clean entry point that bypassed an electric gate, CCTV cameras, and an alarm system. By the time officers arrived, the suspects were gone and a number of items had been stolen.
Cheshire Police confirmed the incident, with Detective Inspector David Jarvis of Macclesfield Proactive CID stating the investigation is in its early stages and appealing for witnesses who were in the area at the time.
It remains unclear whether Fernandes' partner Ana Pinho and their two young children were at the property when it was targeted.
A bad week just got worse
The timing piles on a man who is clearly at a breaking point with his club. Fernandes didn't hold back after the Como loss — accusing United of being "rooted in the past" and going directly at Carrick's tactics. That's your captain, publicly, after a four-goal loss. That's not frustration. That's a signal.
Now add a burglary to the mix. The personal disruption alone would affect any player's preparation. United face Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday, with Carrick under mounting pressure to produce something resembling a result. A distracted captain and a dressing room already questioning the manager's methods is not a combination that inspires confidence in the home side's odds.
Cheshire Police are asking anyone with information to come forward. As for United — they've got problems a tip line can't solve.
