Mexes reunited with daughter after robber ordeal

AS Roma's French defender Philippe Mexes suffered a terrifying ordeal when thieves stole his car, with his two-year-old daughter inside.

According to police sources, though, the robbers abandoned the vehicle just a quarter of an hour later having discoverd baby Eva inside the car.

Italian police claimed Mexes was present at the time of the theft, which occurred on Thursday night, a version that was denied by Mexes's agent Olivier Jouanneaux.

“Thursday night, Philippe Mexes was at training at Roma's training ground at Trigoria,” said Jouanneaux, claiming that Mexes's wife Carla had been alone with their two children, Eva and four-year-old Enzo.

“She took her son into the house and the two men came in behind her and stole the keys. She saw them leaving with the car, with her young daughter still inside.”

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti's version seemed to back up that of Mexes's agent.

“At a quarter to midnight (Roma team manager) Salvatore Scaglia came and told me (what had happened) and Mexes had already left to go home,” said Spalletti.

“Then I followed Mexes and went to his home with him, he was calm enough and had his daughter in his arms.

“His wife had gone to dinner with friends. As she was unloading the children from the car they (the thieves) stole the keys and fled in the car.

“Thank goodness it turned out well because it could have been a tragedy.”

A press report on the Gazzetta dello Sport website on Friday morning said Mexes and Carla had just arrived back at their luxury home in the Axa-Casal Palocco district between Rome and the ancient port city of Ostia when they were confronted by two armed men.

It said Mexes had a gun pointed to his head and a scuffle broke out before the armed men made off with his SUV Mercedes.

Former France international centre-back Mexes joined Roma in 2004 from Auxerre and has become one of the mainstays of their team.