Real Madrid supports Mbappe in light of Swedish rape investigation reports

MADRID – Real Madrid has pledged its support to striker Kylian Mbappe, at least for now, after Swedish media reported that he is under investigation for an alleged rape during a visit to Stockholm.

The reigning European champions, who have not commented publicly on the reports, do not appear to be too worried about the reports surrounding the player, who moved from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

A club source, who spoke to AFP on condition he not reveal his identity, described the allegations as “the biggest fabrication in the history of sport”.

On Tuesday, Real was accused of deleting 25-year-old Mbappe from photos it released as part of an advertising campaign with its jersey maker Adidas.

Real told reporters the reason was simply that Mbappe’s shoe sponsor was Adidas’ bitter rival Nike.

However, this explanation was questioned on social media, with many people pointing out that several players in the photos are also signed to Nike, such as Mbappe’s France international Eduardo Camavinga.

Amid the media storm – and on the day his lawyer spoke to AFP and other French media outlets, insisting their client was “shocked” to be linked to a rape investigation – Mbappe trained with his teammates in Madrid on Tuesday .

Training shown

This time the club did not hesitate to release photos and videos of the Frenchman, who was due to be available for selection for Celta Vigo’s visit to the Bernabeu on Saturday, as he has reportedly recovered from the left thigh complaint that kept him out of France’s squad Nations League games canceled.

With few days off available to him, Mbappe decided to travel with a group of friends to Stockholm, where he arrived on October 9 and departed on October 11.

According to reports from several Swedish media outlets, they visited a restaurant and a nightclub. After the group left Sweden, a woman went to the police and claimed she had been the victim of rape.

On Monday, after Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet became the first media outlet to announce that a rape investigation had been launched, Mbappe called the report “fake news” on his social media and claimed there was a connection between the allegations and his financial dispute with him former club Paris Saint-Germain. A hearing on the case was held on Tuesday.

“It becomes as predictable as if by chance the day before the hearing,” Mbappe said on X, formerly Twitter.

A Swedish prosecutor has only confirmed that an investigation has been opened, without naming Mbappe.

His lawyer Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard told AFP on Tuesday that the 2018 world champion was “reassured” because “he has done nothing wrong.”

Canu-Bernard said Mbappe had “asked my office not to leave things as they are because it is impossible to be slandered and defamed in this way.”

“That’s why we’re going to file defamation charges.”

AFP