Villarreal Replaces Gulacsi After Armed Robbery Before Napoli Match

Villarreal had to change its goalkeeping lineup for its UEFA Champions League clash with Napoli after Peter Gulacsi was left too shaken to play following an armed robbery at his home in the Valencia region of Spain on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. The Hungarian goalkeeper was with his wife and two young children during the incident, but no family members were injured, according to reports citing the Spanish club.

The robbery occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at the family's residence in the Monasterios residential area of Puçol, in Valencia province. Authorities were notified, and an investigation was launched to establish what happened. Officials had not released details about the suspects or the items taken, according to reporting by Il Fatto Quotidiano.

Villarreal selected Brazilian goalkeeper Luiz Júnior, born in 2001, to replace Gulacsi for the second round of the 2026-27 Champions League league phase. The club had signed Gulacsi during the summer, according to ANSA. His absence was attributed to the psychological impact of the robbery rather than a physical injury.

The incident came as Villarreal hosted Napoli at Estadio de la Cerámica in Vila-real. Both teams entered the match seeking their first points in the competition after losing their opening fixtures, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Napoli had lost at home to Arsenal in its opening match, while Villarreal had suffered a 3-2 defeat away to Borussia Dortmund. The Italian side arrived after beating Frosinone 3-0 in domestic league action, with Kevin De Bruyne scoring twice and Lang adding another goal. Villarreal, meanwhile, had lost 1-0 away to Real Madrid.

Gazzetta dello Sport listed Napoli's starting formation as a 3-5-2, with Milinkovic-Savic in goal and Rrahmani, Rafa Marin and Badiashile in defense. De Bruyne, Gilmour and McTominay featured in midfield, while Giovane and Hojlund led the attack.

Villarreal lined up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Luiz Júnior in goal and Mourino, Pau Navarro, Renato Veiga and Carlos Romero in defense. Gerard Moreno and Mikautadze formed the attacking pair.

During the match, Napoli took the lead through Rrahmani, who scored from close range after goalkeeper Luiz Júnior had saved his initial header with assistance from the crossbar. The goal followed a corner routine involving Gilmour, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Villarreal subsequently equalized through Mikautadze, who capitalized on an error by Politano. The Spanish side then moved ahead when Mourino scored, producing two Villarreal goals within five minutes, according to the Italian outlet's live match coverage.

The robbery also drew attention to similar incidents involving footballers in Spain. Il Fatto Quotidiano reported that former Villarreal midfielder Étienne Capoue experienced an attempted burglary at his home in February 2024 while dining with his family. ANSA also cited previous incidents involving Toko Ekambi and Zambo Anguissa.

Authorities continued investigating the robbery at Gulacsi's residence. Reports confirmed that the goalkeeper and his family had escaped physical injury, although the incident left him unable to participate in Villarreal's European fixture.