Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi has been charged with rape, French prosecutors mentioned.
Hakimi, 24, was questioned by prosecutors on Thursday about accusations made by a 24-year-old lady, and subsequently charged.
The Madrid-born participant, who was a key a part of Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar final yr, skilled together with his PSG teammates on Friday morning.
The membership made no remark concerning the cost.
Hakimi allegedly paid for his accuser to journey to his house within the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt final Saturday whereas his spouse and youngsters had been away on vacation.
The girl went to a police station on Sunday and was questioned by prosecutors on Wednesday, in keeping with sources near the case.
On Monday, Hakimi appeared on the FIFA Finest awards ceremony in Paris, the place he was named within the FIFPro males’s world group of the yr.
The participant’s lawyer Fanny Colin couldn’t instantly be contacted however on Tuesday she mentioned the accusations towards Hakimi had been “false”.
Rachel Flore Pardo, the lawyer for the alleged sufferer, instructed AFP: “My consumer maintains all the things that she mentioned. She made the selection to talk solely to prosecutors and doesn’t need the affair to turn into a media subject, primarily to guard her security.”
Underneath French regulation, being charged doesn’t essentially imply the case will go to trial.
Reigning French champions PSG are high of Ligue 1 and face Nantes on Saturday earlier than travelling to Germany the place they play Bayern Munich within the second leg of the Champions League final 16 on Wednesday.
The French aspect path 1-0 from the primary leg.
It was not instantly clear if Hakimi would play any half in both match, however he’s permitted to go away French soil regardless of the cost towards him.
Hakimi got here by means of the youth system at Actual Madrid earlier than becoming a member of Bundesliga aspect Borussia Dortmund in 2018. He went on to make 73 appearances for the German membership.
He moved to Inter Milan in 2020 after which on to PSG in 2021 the place he has established himself as an integral a part of the group and has struck up an in depth friendship with star ahead Kylian Mbappe.
In Qatar, he was a cornerstone of the Morocco group that turned the primary nation from the Arab world to achieve the final 4 of a World Cup.
