Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko was reportedly involved in a scary traffic stop by Italian police in what turned out to be a case of mistaken identity on behalf of the police.
Bakayoko, who signed for the Blues in 2017 under Antonio Conte, was the man seen in a video which has circulated on social media in the wake of the incident. The 27-year-old has spent two seasons on loan in Milan since joining Chelsea, playing for the Rossoneri during the 2018/19 season and then again during the 2021/22 campaign in which he won the Serie A title, making 14 appearances.
The video shows armed police holding the former Monaco man up against a car in a video circulated by Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri. One officer is seen to be emptying the midfielder's pockets and placing the contents on the roof of their car while the two other officers point their drawn guns at the player's vehicle.
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It is shown how the police then gradually realise their error and place their guns back into their holsters before consoling the player with a pat on the back. A statement from the state says that the stop was conducted due to the player and his friend 'matching a description' from a shooting which took place in the city.
The statement read: "The search, which happened on July 3, was due to a shooting that happened in the area in the previous hours, and the two suspects were two men in a SUV fitting the description, one of the two was black and with a green shirt." It concluded. "That’s why the gun was pointed."
In the past dew days, it has emerged that the Frenchman's time in West London is to come to an end after a difficult five-year spell at the club. French publication Foot Mercato report that he has agreed a move to join Marseille after just 43 appearances in a Chelsea shirt.
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