Combs-la-Ville, France – A brutal break-in at the home of former Adidas owner, minister, actor, and soccer boss Bernard Tapie has caused a stir in France and put his wife, Dominique, in the hospital on Sunday.

According to reports, four burglars dressed in black with their faces covered entered the house in a town outside Paris shortly before midnight on Saturday.

They tied up Bernard and Dominique Tapie, with the pair suffering physical injuries in the incident. Eventually Dominique was able to trigger an alarm, it was reported.

The burglars fled with several valuables, according to reports.

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The mayor of Combs-la-Ville, Guy Geoffroy, said the perpetrators had used "extreme violence" against the couple, but they were doing well considering the circumstances. Broadcaster BFM TV reported that Bernard Tapie (78) also said that he was doing well when asked.

Tapie is a colorful figure in France. Most recently, he made headlines due to a court case for misappropriation of public funds.

The former head of the Olympique Marseille soccer club had felt that he was conned by the state bank Credit Lyonnais when he sold shares in the German sporting goods manufacturer in the early 1990s and sued.

In arbitration proceedings in 2008, Tapie was awarded more than 400 million Euros ($470 million) in compensation. However, the arbitration award was later overturned by a civil court.

He was acquitted of the charges of fraud and misappropriation of state funds in 2019, though the prosecution submitted an appeal.

The appeal trial is set to begin next month. It had been postponed recently because of Tapie's health: he is suffering from cancer.

Tapie has been falsely declared dead by French media at least three times. In November, Radio France Internationale prematurely published an obituary it had prepared in case of his death.