Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski's stolen €70,000 watch recovered

A man approached the player and snatched the Patek Phillippe watch from his wrist

Robert Lewandowski making his debut for Barcelona against Rayo Vallecano. AP

A watch stolen from the wrist of Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski has been recovered by police.

The incident happened on Thursday when the player arrived at Barcelona's training ground and began signing autographs.

A man approached and snatched the watch from the player's wrist. Lewandowski climbed back in his car and gave chase but could not find the man.

Polish international Lewandowski joined Barcelona after eight years at Bayern Munich, where he won most honours in the European game, including the UEFA Champions League.

Police were called at 4.30pm (2.30pm GMT) and within an hour they had caught a 19-year-old man who was hiding in bushes near the stadium.

They also recovered the watch, reported by Spanish media to be a Patek Phillippe worth €70,000 ($70,300).

The striker went on to train in preparation for the team’s Spanish league match against Real Sociedad on Sunday, which will be his 34th birthday.

Lewandowski's arrival at Barcelona was the club’s biggest close season signing.

He made his debut last weekend in a frustrating 0-0 draw against Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou, their first La Liga game of the season.