Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and his then-pregnant girlfriend, Alessia Elefante, were victims of a violent robbery in their Paris apartment in 2023, a court has heard. The couple was reportedly hit, bound, and threatened with a knife by intruders who broke into their residence while they were asleep.
The incident occurred on Avenue Montaigne, a well-known luxury street in Paris. Donnarumma, who was playing for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the time, and Elefante have since married and had a child.
A Paris criminal court is currently holding a two-day hearing regarding the ordeal. Court documents indicate that Donnarumma was awakened by one of the robbers and struck in the face with a knuckle duster. He was then threatened with a knife, and the assailant demanded watches. Donnarumma showed the robbers an Audemars Piguet watch, which can be valued at hundreds of thousands of euros.
Elefante told investigators that she was also woken by the thieves, who demanded money and watches. She reported giving them a Cartier watch, jewelry, and €2,000 in cash. The robbers also demanded the code to a safe. Elefante stated that she did not know the code and that the safe was empty. She told investigators that the robbers became angry, pulled her by the hair, and hit her on the thighs, continuing their actions even after she informed them she was pregnant.
Donnarumma eventually provided the safe's code, but as Elefante had stated, it was empty. The robbers left with keys to a Mercedes and a Lamborghini, cash, watches, and luxury handbags.
Police reported that the four robbers gained access to the apartment by using a ladder to climb onto the roof and then lowering themselves onto a balcony before breaking in through windows.
Two individuals, Ilyas Kherbouch, 21, and Khyan Mamouni, are accused of orchestrating the robbery from prison. Both deny the charges. Kherbouch, who had previously escaped from jail, caused a disturbance at the trial's opening by insulting and threatening police officers.
Two of the robbers, who were under 18 at the time of the incident, have already received jail sentences of three and four years, respectively, from a children's court. Another defendant, Moktar Diop, 24, admitted to participating but is not accused of using violence. A fourth suspect died by suicide in 2024, having previously admitted to involvement under pressure from accomplices.
Lawyers for Donnarumma and Elefante stated that they remain "profoundly shocked" by the events. The trial is ongoing.