WASHINGTON — Several D.C. United players had phones and cash stolen from the visiting locker room during the club's CONCACAF Champions League match against Mexican side Queretaro, coach Ben Olsen confirmed.
United discovered the robbery after returning to the locker room after a 2-0 loss Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal.
"Nobody likes to get their phones stolen," Olsen said Monday. "It's a huge part of all of our lives. It's like someone stole your dog."
The players affected by the robbery will be reimbursed for their stolen property, Olsen said.
There seemingly are no indications that Queretaro or match organizers had any involvement in the robbery. One United player said he used the "Find My iPhone" app shortly after the match and discovered his device already was in Mexico City, some 130 miles from Queretaro City.
"It's not ideal, and it's upsetting that stuff like that still goes down in CONCACAF," Olsen said. "It still happens, and it's a part of CONCACAF for me. You just chalk it up as part of CONCACAF tournaments — it just goes into the stories, into the lore of this great CONCACAF exploration."
He added: "The way CONCACAF has dealt with this, and Queretaro, after the incident has been very professional. It's phones and money that will be paid back — nothing too earth-shattering."
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