Manchester City star Erling Haaland was confronted by balaclava-wearing police and asked to identify himself during a raid at his favourite beach club.
The Norwegian international was filmed putting his hands into his pocket to take out his ID after being surprised as he enjoyed some R&R at popular hangout Playa Padre in the resort of Marbella. Moments earlier, heavily-armed police in riot gear were spotted running into the beach club as a helicopter hovered overhead.
The dramatic raid on Sunday night at the club, which was officially opened in 2017 by Hollywood actress Eva Longoria, came three weeks after police wearing body armour stormed the famous Ocean Beach club in neighbouring Puerto Banus in a similar operation. Stunned British holidaymakers in swim shorts and bikinis were ordered out of the pool so they could identify themselves.
The back-to-back club raids have followed a string of shootings in the area, sparking the launch of the so-called Operation Marbella in April to keep British and Irish tourists safe. Haaland, enjoying some down time in Marbella where he and his former footballer dad Alfie own property after Norway failed to qualify for Euro 2024, regularly visits Playa Padre when he is in town.
He was pictured there last weekend, letting his hair down as he danced alongside a DJ in front of other revellers. Club owners have not yet made any comment on social media about Sunday's incredible broad-daylight raid, and Spanish National Police have not offered any information so far on the operation.
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One expat Brit, commenting on what had happened, joked afterwards about the footage of police raiding the club: “Who knew the National Police were such Erling Haaland fans? Actual footage of them running to get selfies with the Man City star at Playa Padre.”
Another onlooker, saying it had happened just before dusk, put the number of police involved at around 200. The last high-profile raid of this kind in Marbella was on May 25 at the Ocean Club.
Police issued loudspeaker messages in Spanish and English after going in saying: “This is just a routine check. The minute we finish you can continue enjoying your afternoon. Don’t worry, there’s nothing serious going on.”
Erling Haaland was caught up in the raid (SOLARPIX.COM)
Police stormed the club in Marbella (SOLARPIX.COM)The images of the operation, which lasted nearly two hours and also involved a police helicopter which hovered overhead after officers moved in, showed why some revellers were left uneasy about their holidays being interrupted in such a radical way.
Operation Marbella was launched on April 11. Police warned locals and visitors at the time they could expect to see more random stops and police checkpoints in and around the holiday destination.
They said nothing about surprise raids on busy tourist-popular venues, although shortly before the one at the Ocean Club, heavily-armed officers crashed a gym at a sports club in the residential area of Nueva Andalucia near Puerto Banus and made three arrests.
Gym-users were asked for their ID before being allowed to continue with their routines. Kerry Katona claimed recently she had U-turned on a decision to move to the famous Costa del Sol resort with her family including fiance Ryan Mahoney because she no longer feels safe about the prospect following the violent incidents there.
Erling Haaland has been enjoying his summer (SOLARPIX.COM)
He was spotted dancing alongside a DJ (SOLARPIX.COM)Locals have branded parts of Marbella like Puerto Banus the ‘Wild West’. One suggested recently tourists should start thinking about putting on a bullet-proof vest with their swim shorts and sandals. Another wrote on social media, expressing her fears an innocent person could be killed: “A stray bullet could end up entering a house.”
Playa Padre, which attracts a mainly international crowd, went up in flames in February 2019. Eva Longoria opened it in 2017 because of her friendship with the owner. The actress was wrongly named as one of the owners following the inauguration. Pamela Anderson and former Made in Chelsea star Ashley James have also been pictured partying there.
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