Kylian Mbappé, 24, was “shocked” to see his name linked with a Swedish rape investigation. The Real Madrid and France star plans to take legal action for libel in response, his lawyer told AFP on Tuesday.
Mbappe’s lawyer Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard insisted the France captain was “calm” because he “has done nothing wrong” after Swedish media said the player was a suspect following a visit with friends to Stockholm.
A Swedish prosecutor said on Tuesday that a rape investigation had been opened without naming Mbappe.
Swedish newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen, as well as public broadcaster SVT, reported that Mbappe was the target of the investigation, following his two-day visit to the city last week.
Speaking to AFP, Canu-Bernard said Mbappe had “asked my office not to leave things as they are because it is impossible to allow yourself to be slandered and defamed in this way.”
“That is why we are going to file a defamation complaint.”
Sweden’s public prosecutor’s office said the alleged rape had occurred at a hotel on October 10, but did not name any suspects and said no further information could be shared at the moment.
“In response to media reports of an alleged rape in Stockholm, the public prosecutor can confirm that a criminal report has been submitted to the police,” a statement said.
According to a file filed with Stockholm’s district court seen by AFP, the alleged crime took place at the upmarket Bank Hotel in the centre of Sweden’s capital.
The names of the complainant and the suspect were blacked out in the document.
Expressen on Monday identified Mbappe as the suspect, citing unnamed sources, while Aftonbladet and SVT said on Tuesday they had also obtained information confirming Mbappe was the suspect.
Expressen said Mbappe was “reasonably suspected” of rape and sexual assault, the lower of the two degrees of suspicion in the Swedish legal system.
According to the prosecution, the highest degree of suspicion, “probable cause”, is normally a prerequisite for a suspect to be remanded in custody before a formal charge.
Lawyer Petra Lund, who represents the plaintiff, told AFP on Tuesday that she “could not make any comment at this time.”
Evidence Seized
The French star was not selected for his country’s final round of UEFA Nations League matches, so he visited the Swedish capital with a group of people last Wednesday.
According to Aftonbladet, they had dinner at a restaurant before going to a nightclub. Mbappe and the group left Sweden on Friday.
Aftonbladet said the complaint was filed on Saturday after the alleged victim sought medical attention.
Expressen reported on Tuesday that police had seized some clothing as evidence, saying it consisted of women’s underwear, a pair of black trousers and a black T-shirt.
Photographs showed police officers leaving the Bank Hotel with brown bags on Monday.
Mbappe claimed in a post on X on Monday that there was a link between the report and the hearing before a French league committee on Tuesday over his bitter dispute with his former club Paris Saint-Germain over what he says is €55m (£46m) in unpaid wages.
“FAKE NEWS! It’s becoming so predictable, on the eve of the hearing, as if by chance,” he wrote.
After the hearing, a source close to Qatari-owned PSG said the league would give its decision on October 25.
Mbappe’s entourage said in a statement to AFP on Monday that the allegations were “completely false and irresponsible” and added that “all necessary legal action will be taken to restore the truth.”
Star Career
Mbappe signed for Madrid in June after seven years at PSG and has so far steered clear of scandal in his private life.
The striker, known for carefully managing his image through a network of family members, lawyers and spokespeople, has become one of the highest-paid players in the world after a stellar career that saw him break through as a teenager at Monaco.
Aged 19, Mbappe joined Pele as the only teenager to score in a World Cup final as France beat Croatia 4-2 to win the 2018 edition and was voted the tournament’s Best Young Player.
Four years later in Qatar, he scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina but ended up on the losing side as Lionel Messi’s side won in a penalty shootout.
Check Also: Injuries Cost Top Leagues €732 Million Last Season, with Bundesliga Most Affected