Jamie Vardy’s new family home in a picturesque part of northern Italy was broken into by three burglars over the weekend, while the former Leicester City and England striker was playing for Cremonese in a home Serie A clash with Roma, with wife Rebekah in attendance at the game. Cremonese were soundly beaten 3-1, but that was the least of Vardy's problems.
£80,000 worth of valuables stolen
The has reported that three men gained entry to the Vardys' £2 million property by the shores of Lake Garda in the town of Salo – around an hour's drive from Cremona – via a window. The break-in happened on Sunday, when Cremonese were hosting Roma at the intimate Stadio Giovanni Zini.
The report states that £80,000 worth of valuables, including jewellery and cash, were taken from the house. However, security cameras are believed to have picked up the thieves, who are likely to have scouted the house to learn when it would be empty, coming and going via their chosen entry point.
Local police captain Giacomo Tessarolo told the: "We have CCTV which shows the individuals entering the house through a window that was left open. They were on the premises for several minutes before escaping with the [Patek Philippe] watch and several other high value items. There was a woman inside, not his wife but the baby sitter. The theft was discovered when some of Vardy's friends returned to the house and found items on the floor and it had evidently been broken into."
Rebekah Vardy was at the Cremonese game when the incident took place.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportSerie A raises awareness of domestic violence
Over the weekend, Cremonese were among a handful of Serie A clubs given permission to promote the 'A Red to Violence' campaign, dedicated to fighting domestic abuse. Each player was able to change the name on the back of his shirt to that of an important woman in their life. Vardy opted to have 'Becky' printed above the number 10 on his jersey, in tribute to his wife. Players also took to the field with a streak of red face paint, again to raise awareness and put the issue of domestic violence in the spotlight.
The Vardy family are said to have immersed themselves in their new Italian adventure, making themselves a visible presence in the town of Salo, population: 10,500, by going out for walks and eating dinner in local restaurants, as well as trying to learn the language. It makes it doubly cruel that they have now been the victims of an unsettling burglary.
Vardy's Serie A inspiration
Vardy was linked with other clubs after leaving Leicester in the summer, including Wrexham, but eventually settled on a new challenge in Italy and has adapted quickly to life abroad. "Once I made my decision, that was it. I was coming here," Vardy explained in a September interview. "I'm settling in really well and just can't wait to get going now. It's all about match days and wanting to pick the results up, so now it's about just knuckling down when I get given the opportunity, helping my teammates out as much as I can and hopefully chipping in with some goals."
He also noted that his favourite Serie A player to watch growing up was Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero: "You watch him play – he was unbelievable. Watching him score most weeks was really encouraging for me. Having watched that, me coming here and trying to do exactly the same – it’s really exciting."
Getty Images SportVardy contract extension looks likely
Having left Leicester at the end of last season when his contract expired, 38-year-old Vardy signed an initial 12-month deal with Cremonese to cover the 2025-26 campaign. However, the terms of that contract also include a 12-month extension to the summer of 2027 if the club avoids relegation. So far, at least, that looks a plausible eventuality, given their mid-table safety after 12 games.
The defeat to Roma was a third on the bounce in Serie A, but Cremonese still sit 11th, with a healthy six-point cushion between them and the relegation zone. The team has lost the same number of games as European powerhouse Inter (4), but needs to be able to turn draws into wins, having taken maximum points from only three league matches. Still, for a newly-promoted provincial club navigating just a second season in the top flight in the last 30 years, it has been a strong start.
