Raheem Sterling quits World Cup due to armed robbery at his London home

AL-KHOR, Qatar – England star Rahim Sterling returned home from world Cup after his home was attacked by armed intruders, head coach Gareth Southgate and the English Football Association confirmed on Sunday.

Sterling has been left out of the England squad for their 3-0 victory over Senegal in the round of 16 after his property just outside London was broken into while his family were inside on Saturday night.

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« He’s on his way back, » Southgate said in his post-match press conference. « We have to give him the time to try to solve this (problem) or to be there for his family. We are obviously aware that he has space and privacy, so we don’t want to go into too much detail. .

« It’s not ideal for the group before a big game, but it becomes insignificant. The individual is more important than the group in those times. »

England qualified for Saturday’s quarter-final with Francethanks to the goals of Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka – but all thoughts were with Sterling, who joined the London squad chelsea of Manchester City last summer.

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Sergino Dest of USA, right, challenges for the ball with England’s Raheem Sterling during the World Cup Group B soccer match between England and USA, at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, Friday, November 25, 2022.
(AP Photo/Andre Penner)

It is unclear whether Sterling, who played a total of 139 minutes in England’s first two games before being rested against Walescould return to Qatar later in the tournament.

The matter was first revealed when the FA released a statement 90 minutes before kick-off that Sterling was absent due to a « family matter ». Before long, however, there were more specifics.

« Raheem Sterling missed England’s World Cup victory over Senegal after armed intruders broke into his home overnight while his family were there, » read a statement released to the Press. Association, an English news agency.

Southgate and Sterling spent a lot of time together on Sunday morning ahead of the winger’s flight home to London, which was hastily arranged by England support staff.

Sterling’s main concern, according to the later statement, was « the welfare of his children ». He added that the player was « understandably shaken ».

Should he be able to return to Qatar, Sterling remains a valid option for Southgate due to his speed and trickery with the ball at his feet.

Raheem Sterling of England looks on during the World Cup Group B soccer match between England and USA at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar on Friday 25th November 2022.
(AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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For more than a decade, Premier League football players from top teams have often been the target of home break-ins during Champions League matches, trips or tournaments.