His arrival in Lille was eventful. As the start of the Ligue 1 season had just been given, the new coach of LOSC Paulo Fonseca was the victim of a burglary, on August 8, in his Mercure hotel room in Lille. A 40-year-old man was sentenced this Friday, September 9 by the Lille court to 2 years in prison and 6 months suspended, found guilty of having stolen for nearly 200,000 euros worth of jewelry to the Portuguese coach.
A stroke of luck ?
That day, the man visits several rooms at the Mercure hotel using a stolen pass. In the Fonseca couple’s room, he forces a suitcase containing several jewels: watches, bracelets, and rings from major brands. A booty estimated at around 180,000 euros.
The Ile-de-France resident, who had already stayed at the hotel a few weeks earlier, was recognized thanks to the video surveillance system. The jewels were found at his home, in his apartment in the Paris region, and given to the Fonseca family, with the exception of a ring which remains untraceable.
The quarantine has already been sentenced several times by the courts, in particular for thefts. He defended himself by saying he found the jewelry in the hotel hallway. There is no indication that he knew that the new Lille coach was staying within the walls of the Mercure.
He was incarcerated following his conviction.