CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Two men were arrested on suspicion of burglarising Mohamed Salah's Cairo villa earlier this month while the Egyptian footballer was out of the country, authorities said Wednesday.

In a statement, Egypt's Interior Ministry said the suspects stole several pairs of football cleats, a medal, a small crystal ball and cable TV receivers from the Liverpool forward's luxury villa. The home is situated in the upmarket area of Tagamoa, 30 miles east of Cairo's centre.

It was not immediately clear whether the two men were charged with a crime or had legal representation. Their identities were not disclosed.

Authorities said both men confessed to entering the empty property by climbing over the villa's rear wall on March 2. Authorities were notified of the break-in by the player's agent on Sunday and the men were arrested less than 48 hours later, it said.

One of the accused had previously worked as a security guard in the neighbourhood and was aware the villa was vacant, the ministry said. All of the stolen goods have been returned, the ministry said.

Police officials previously told The Associated Press that only TV cable receivers were taken from the house.

Salah is Liverpool's record all-time Premier League goal scorer and spends much of the year in England. He joined Liverpool in 2018 from Roma. Salah hails from the Nile Delta town of Nagrig.