Tomorrow, Saturday at 6:30 PM, Arsenal will take on FC Barcelona in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final. This highly anticipated showdown has been overshadowed by a dramatic event at the Jose Alvalade Stadium last weekend during a Portuguese league match between Sporting Lisbon and Vitoria.
During the game, masked individuals forced their way into a secure area within the stadium, stealing the UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy and other accompanying items. Acting swiftly, local police launched an intensive investigation, which resulted in the trophy’s successful recovery. The valuable trophy has since been returned to UEFA, the governing body of European football.
Portuguese authorities remain actively engaged in uncovering all individuals implicated in this audacious theft. So far, 13 suspects have been apprehended in connection with the case, as police continue to dig deeper.
FC Barcelona’s women’s team heads into the final as the defending champion, having claimed the trophy last year after defeating Lyon in the final.
The UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy, pictured here, was successfully recovered by Portuguese police after being stolen.