- Fred, or Frederico Chaves Guedes, was robbed in the Ipanema neighborhood
- He is the sports director at Fluminense and came home from a meeting
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This is the dramatic moment former Brazil international Fred has a gun put to his head during an armed terror attack.
The retired footballer is forced out of his car after being intercepted by a violent gang and surrenders by lying face down on the pavement and staying there for 17 seconds before seeking help after the robbers drive away in his vehicle .
The drama took place just after 1am on Thursday when Fred, who has scored 18 goals in his 39 appearances for his country, left the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro after his club Fluminense’s 1-0 win over São Paulo.
The 40-year-old, Fluminense’s current sports planning director, had remained at the stadium after the win for an informal meeting with players and other club officials.
He was robbed in the famous Ipanema district of the Brazilian city.
Fred was approached while driving home after a late meeting with Fluminense, where he is sports director
The 40-year-old was followed by a white car down a street before two men jumped out and forced him to get out of his car and lie down in the street.
The armed gang then drove away in Fred’s Mercedes, also reportedly taking his mobile phone
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Footage of the incident, which lasted just 46 seconds from start to finish, showed three men getting out of a white car that was following him and running to his car before forcing him out at gunpoint.
Two more accomplices on a motorcycle appeared to be waiting nearby to look out for the police.
In addition to his luxury motorcycle, the robbers also took Fred’s cell phone.
He was seen standing up, shaken but unharmed, and appeared to be seeking help after they drove away in his vehicle.
There has been no official comment from police yet and it is believed no arrests have been made.
Fred, full name Frederico Chaves Guedes, is the second highest goalscorer in Fluminense history, with 199 goals in all competitions.
He is also the second highest goalscorer in the Brazilian Serie A, with 159 goals.
His club sides included Atletico Mineiro, Cruzeiro and Lyon in France, where he helped the team win three consecutive Ligue 1 titles.
He made his debut for Brazil in 2005 and was selected for the 2006 World Cup.
The striker was one of the scapegoats for Brazil’s failure to win the 2014 tournament after a humiliating 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany.
Fred retired as a Fluminense legend in 2022 after becoming the second highest goalscorer in the club’s history
The player scored 18 goals in his 39 international appearances and featured at the 2006 World Cup
In 2020, he completed a 600 kilometer charity cycle ride from Belo Horizonte to Rio, ahead of his second spell at Fluminense, where he would cement his place in the club’s history books by becoming their second all-time top scorer.
With the aim of raising money for charity, companies that sponsored Fred’s ride distributed food parcels for every kilometer he rode. As a end result, approximately 4,000 food baskets were distributed.
Fred’s return unfortunately coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, and he was greeted by empty streets upon his arrival in the morning, wearing a mask and brandishing a Fluminense shirt after five days on the bike.
He retired from professional football last July.