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BEING covered in expensive jewellery, living in luxury homes and driving fancy motors makes footballers a target for burglars and robbers.
Over the years, we’ve seen Premier League stars held at knife point or gun point by thieves demanding they hand over their goods.

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6ft 4in Duncan Ferguson was fearless when faced with robbers in his homeCredit: Reuters
But some are more reluctant than others, often fighting back.
Here’s a list of football’s hardest men who weren’t prepared to part with their belongings.
CARLOS CARVALHAL
The former Swansea and Sheffield Wednesday boss fended off knife-carrying robbers, who tried to mug him outside of his house.
Carvalhal was returning to his home in the Portuguese city of Braga in the early hours when he was confronted by three masked men who stopped him and demanded he hand over cash.

He revealed: “As I was travelling back to my house in Braga from Madeira yesterday, I was attacked by three hooded individuals at around 02:15am.
“My natural instinct was to put up a fight – that was perhaps a risky decision.
“But with the help of my son, Jose Carlos, we managed to get out of the situation.
“We have a few cuts and bruises but nothing serious.”

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Carlos Carvalhal fended off knife-carrying thugs outside his homeCredit: Getty Images – Getty
DUNCAN FERGUSON
On the pitch, Everton legend ‘Big Dunc’ was a force to be reckoned with.
The 6ft 4in was sent off nine times during his career and spent three months behind bars for head-butting Raith Rovers’ John McStay in 1994.
So, knowing that, you’d think twice about burgling the tough Scot.
Clearly not. Two intruders broke into his Lancashire home in 2001 in the early hours, and immediately regretted it.
One managed to flee, while the other was ‘detained’ by Ferguson after a scuffle.
That men then spent three days in hospital recovering.

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Duncan Ferguson arrives at training the morning after putting a burglar in hospitalCredit: Mercury Press Agency
SEAD KOLASINAC
The Arsenal defender became a hero with Gooners when he showed no fear after he was confronted by knife-wielding moped thugs in North London.
Bosnian Kolasinac was with team-mate Mesut Ozil when the pair were set on by the gang, who wanted to steal their £200,000 watches.
But the full back was having nothing of it, jumping out of a Mercedes G-Wagon as the man thrust his knife in the direction of the Gunners star.
Of the incident, Kolasinac said: “About what happened I don’t want to talk about it in details.
“It’s happened and it’s something that belongs to the past. The same with Mesut,” he added.

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Sead Kolasinac and Arsenal team-mate Mesut Ozil were threatened with a knife for their £200,000 watches

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Kolasinac fought back with his bare fists to fend off the muggers
LEONARDO BONUCCI
The Juventus and Italy star certainly knows how to stick up for himself.
And bruising encounters with Serie A’s finest over the years would’ve prepared him for this moment, for sure.
In 2012, Bonucci was with his wife and baby son at a car dealership in Turin when a man in a face mask approached him with a gun and demanded he hand over his watch.
The defender punched the assailant, before chasing him down as he tried to get away with an accomplice on a scooter.
As he was running, the robber was heard shouting: “What are you doing? Are you mad? I’ll shoot you.”

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Leonardo Bonucci punched an assailant with a gun in the face before chasing him downCredit: Getty Images – Getty
CHIC CHARNLEY
They’re just as tough south of the border.
Former Partick Thistle midfielder Chic once fended off two men waving Japanese-style swords in his direction, plus a ferocious looking dog with a traffic cone.
The incident happened during a training session in the 1990s at Ruchill Park.
Charnley recalled: “We’re up there training and maybe ten minutes before, this lady is walking the dog and it nipped one of the boys’ ankles.
“Just as that happened, these two young guys came up, and I think it was an Alsatian they had and a wee Jack Russell.
“So because of what happened earlier with the wee woman, we stopped and they recognised me.
“They were shouting, and I said ‘Away you go, come back at 12.30pm when we finish’, thinking they wouldn’t come back.
“Half an hour later we’re up at Ruchill and I see these two guys coming up the hill and I went – ‘Oh naw!’
“One has got a samurai sword and the other one has got a dagger.

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Chic Charnley wasn’t going to let a thug with a samurai sword ruin his dayCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
“They’ve come up the hill and they’ve came towards me. So I’ve picked up a traffic cone, but he’s swinging this sword, so I’ve hit him with the traffic cone.
“But he’s ran. Instead of me stopping, I’ve chased him down the hill. But he’s still got the sword, and he’s turned at the bottom and caught me on the hand with the sword.
“But I got it off him and then went and beat him up and that, so that was fine.”
CHRIS KAMARA
Sky Sports pundit showed he was still quick on his feet when he chased down a mugger in Brazil.
Kamara turned superhero when he saw a barefoot youth in his early 20s snatching a bag from a passer-by at Rio’s famous Ipanema beach.
The former footballer gave chase and held the robber down until cops arrived on the scene.
Kamara shared the photos and quipped: “Not lost me pace!!! I just caught this street robber. Done in now though.”
However, a spokesman from the Foreign Office advised against doing what Kamara did.

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Chris Kamara stands next to police arresting the robber he caught

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Kamara chased the man down before wrestling him to the ground and detaining him for cops
He said: “We are aware of the incident and we are providing consular assistance to Mr Kamara.
“In terms of his actions in chasing the assailant, that goes against our recommended advice.”
MASSIMO CELLINO
Even football club owners are hard.
The Brescia and former Leeds United chairman Cellino is the most recent to fight back against muggers.

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Former Leeds United chairman Massimo Cellino took on assailants who tried to rip his watch from his wristCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Cellino, 63, took on his assailants, who tried to rip a watch from his wrist in his current home town, Padenghe sul Garda, in northern Italy.
He hit his nose on a car door as he battled the robbers, who fled without stealing anything.
Bellissimo! More

HE’s estimated to be worth £38million, so it’s no surprise footie ace John Terry and his family are accustomed to living in one of Surrey’s most sought-after areas.
And the former England and Chelsea defender obviously has time on his hands since retiring from his £170,000-a-week playing career last year, turning his hand to property development.

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John Terry, pictured with wife Toni, has invested vast amounts of time and money on his property portfolio and has made millions

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John Terry previously owned both the red-brick mansion (top right) and white nine-bed property (bottom right) and now wants to tear down the third property (bottom left) and build two new propertiesCredit: INS News
The real estate tycoon has already made almost £20million in property deals, and now he’s been granted planning permission to bulldoze one of his mansions and replace it with two new luxury abodes – a move that could make him another £20m.
Here, Sun Online looks at Terry’s booming property portfolio…
Latest £20million venture
Features: A bar, games room, private gym
Estimated profit: £20million

Terry has been a fan of the Surrey area of Oxshott – a ten minute drive from Chelsea’s Cobham training ground – for over a decade.
He bought Tandem House, his third property in the area for £4.5million and has now won planning permission to demolish it.

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John Terry is set to build two new mega mansions

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The Chelsea legend is set to knock down a £4.5 million mansion to build two new ones
The 39-year-old star is going to build two luxury houses in its place – one six-bed, and one four-bed.
Both properties will include a kitchen diner, family room, drawing room, bar and games room.

The larger property will also boast a pool and gym.
£6.5 million former family home
Features: Gym, Astro turf putting green, cinema room
Profit: £2.8million

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John Terry’s former family home is now back on the market for £6.5millionCredit: Rightmove
John Terry and wife Toni’s former six-bed family home in Oxshott is back on the market for £5.5 million, however he’s been forced to slash the price because of the coronavirus.
Dad-of-two Terry reportedly bought the property for £2.2 million in 2003 and sold it for £5 million in 2013.
Keen golfer Terry installed a small Astro turf putting green in the one acre of sprawling gardens.

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An indoor swimming pool is just one of the many features the Surrey home boastsCredit: Rightmove

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The stunning former home of John Terry is back on the marketCredit: Rightmove
Situated on a private road on the prestigious Crown Estate, the home boasts one of Surrey’s most exclusive addresses.
The property was recently renovated by interior designer Louise Bradley, and has four huge bedrooms in the main house, with two additional rooms and a shower in the guest wing above the triple garage.
£16 million super-mansion sold to the Sultan of Oman
Features: Fishing lake, swimming pool and sauna
Profit: £10million

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John Terry had planned to move into this nine-bed property, but then received an offer he couldn’t refuseCredit: INS News
Clearly a fan of the location, Terry then bought his second mansion a stone’s throw from his former home for £1.8million in 2007, and spent £4million renovating the nine-bed property.
The white house dwarfed Terry’s neighbouring pile, and when building work began in 2011, it was believed to involve putting in a 33 x 40ft indoor pool, a steam room, sauna and a fishing lake.
The house was perfect for the footballer as it was only visible to the public from the air and boasted a separate wing for staff, and a visitor annexe in the opposite building.
He had planned to move his family in to the property but when the Sultan of Oman made him “an offer he couldn’t refuse” in 2014, he sold it.
According to reports, Terry made at least £10million profit on the £16million sale.
Colin Montgomerie’s £5million mansion
Features: half-acre of land, seven beds and staff accommodation 
Worth: £5million

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John Terry and wife Toni have made some very clever property moves
In 2014 Terry bought the £4.35million former mansion owned by golfer Colin Montgomerie, downsizing from his ‘dream home’.
It was here that in 2017 the star was left shaken after robbers broke into the home, stealing £4million of loot. 
The property is just down the road from Terry’s previous two properties, and boasts a two-bed staff annex.

While smaller than his last place, the seven-bed property is still situated on a half-acre of land, and features six bathrooms and four reception rooms.
He reportedly spent £150k replacing the lawn with Astroturf, and the property’s value is thought to have risen to £5million.
Based on his track record of snapping up houses in the area, Terry’s neighbours will be keeping a very beady eye on his next move – waiting for the bulldozers to move in.

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