Brazil football legend Zico has had luxury items worth an estimated £420,000 stolen while in Paris for the Olympic Games, according to reports. French media say that the 71-year-old former star of the Selecao had a briefcase containing a Rolex, diamond necklace and several thousand euros in cash robbed while getting into a taxi from his hotel in the French capital’s 19th arrondissement. Zico has been invited to the Games as part of the Brazilian Olympic Committee’s delegation.
A police investigation has been opened into the robbery and Le Parisien alleged there were two offenders - one to distract Zico, the other to take the briefcase. Meanwhile, police are continuing to hunt the arsonists who carried out the "malicious" railway attack just hours before the Games’ opening ceremony. French authorities have warned that the attackers could be hit with a fine of €150,000 alongside jail time after cables on intercity lines were cut overnight.
It comes as around 800,000 travellers could be affected by delays and cancellations for the entire weekend. High-speed trains including the Eurostar were hit by what the nation's national rail company SNCF called a series of co-ordinated arson attacks, although there was no immediate evidence of a link to the Games. SNCF said its Atlantic, North and East networks were damaged in the incidents, but that an attempted attack in the South-East was foiled.
Transport minister Patrice Vergriete wrote in a post on X: “Co-ordinated maliciou.