Players for World Cup champion Spain say money was stolen from their hotel rooms while they were in Recife for a Confederations Cup game against Uruguay. Police, however, could not confirm a robbery.
Six Spanish players, including Gerard Pique, reported that items, including money, had been taken from their rooms, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca and the EFE news agency. The players reportedly discovered what happened as they prepared to leave Recife on Monday after their 2-1 win over Uruguay the previous day.
''We know that there was a police report and this was being dealt with by the relevant authorities,'' FIFA spokesman Pekka Odriozola said. ''We have also been in touch with the team.''
Police in Recife said Thursday no one from the Spanish squad made an official complaint to authorities. Police spokesman Carlos Leite said investigators went to the team's hotel after the delegation had left but could not confirm a robbery. He said the hotel also couldn't confirm it.
A spokeswoman for the Spanish team declined to comment.
Security has long been a major problem in Brazil, where muggings, carjackings and armed robberies are facts of daily life.
On Wednesday, the wife of Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar said she was robbed at gunpoint in Fortaleza, where Brazil played Mexico earlier in the day. In Brasilia, the hotel room of at least one journalist was robbed before the tournament's opening match last week.
