Wannabe footballer held Barcelona legend at gunpoint to sign him

Royal Antwerp manager Mark van Bommel was allegedly held at gunpoint last year by a fan demanding he receive a professional contract.

Van Bommel enjoyed a glittering playing career that saw him play for Barcelona and Bayern Munich. He won league titles in four different countries and was a World Cup runner-up in 2010 with the Netherlands.

After hanging up his boots in 2013, he has moved into management and is currently in charge of Royal Antwerp after joining the club last May.

He has won the Belgian Cup in his first season and his team have performed strongly in the league, but it has been far from plain sailing for the 46-year-old.

It has now emerged that he was allegedly held at gunpoint by a fan in October 2022, who was desperate to achieve his dream of playing professionally, according to De Telegraaf.

The report claims Van Bommel crashed into and damaged a nearby Mercedes while trying to get away, but was left unharmed physically. Meanwhile, the man threatening him fled the scene.

However, it has since been revealed that this may not have been the only contact the man, named as Jamaleh Haban M, had with Van Bommel.

Haban allegedly sent Van Bommel a voice message vowing to kill the ex-Dutch midfielder and his family if he wasn't given a contract, while also allegedly placing an Apple Tracker on Van Bommel's car so that he knew where he was when he held him at gunpoint.

What is said to be Haban's chilling voice message was translated from Arabic by De Telegraaf, and stated: 'Listen Mark, your family's life depends on this, let me become a professional player.

'Don't go to the police, we will kill you and your family. We know where you live.'

In a further twist, it has also been reported that Haban posed for a selfie with Van Bommel just months before the incident.

Van Bommel's lawyer, John Maes, has claimed his client has been badly affected by the alleged ordeal, and has been left struggling to sleep while living in a hotel since it took place.

Van Bommel's legal team are seeking a severe punishment for Haban, who initially claimed he was 17, but studies have found he is actually 25.

They want €5,000 (4,300) in moral damages, a €1,200 (£1,030) fine and Haban to be given a five-year prison sentence.

The verdict on the case is due on June 13.