West Ham's Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini has been mugged at gunpoint in his homeland. Pellegrini was with his wife and two friends when they were robbed by an armed gang in a Santiago suburb.
The Chilean, 64, was traveling with the group to a restaurant on Saturday when the incident happened.
Pellegrini’s wife reportedly had her handbag snatched before the gang made off. The gunmen were later tracked down by police and became involved in a shootout, before driving off in a Porsche Cayenne which had reportedly been stolen two weeks prior to the incident. The vehicle was later found abandoned.
READ MORE: Pep talk: World Cup coaches give advice ahead of Russia 2018 (VIDEO)
The West Ham boss paid tribute to Chilean police in a tweet in Spanish, thanking them for their “quick and courageous action.”
“I appreciate the support of the people. I hope you are given more powers to police and solve the issue of crime as soon as possible,” he added.
A spokesman for London club West Ham, whom the Chilean joined as manager this summer, said: "We are relieved to hear that Manuel and his wife were both unharmed."
Pellegrini won the Premier League title as boss of former club Manchester City in 2014. He has been handed the task of reviving West Ham’s fortunes, after the club finished last season in 13th place in the Premier League following a turbulent season of fan protests over the team’s performances, the running of the club, and the move to its new London Stadium home.