Kylian Mbappe has broken his silence on rape allegations made against him earlier this season after a trip to Sweden during an international break.
Instead of joining France, an injured Mbappe headed to Stockholm for a break from football. He decided to focus on his recovery, although it was a call that still seemed to arouse anger in France.
But while in Stockholm, the Real Madrid player was included in a rape investigation after an alleged attack took place at the hotel where he was staying during the international break: he strongly denied any involvement.
He was linked to the incident by Swedish media, despite no names being officially linked to the case, with the player and his legal representatives dismissing the accusation as 'defamatory'.
An investigation into the alleged attack on the Stockholm hotel was opened in October.
The French captain has continued to deny the allegations against him, repeating his surprise at the investigation in an interview with Clique on Canal+.
'I was surprised. These are things that happen that you don't see coming. “I have not received anything, no summons,” he said.
'I read the same as everyone else. The Swedish government said nothing. I'm not worried.
'It didn't bother me because I never worried. There is a lot of noise, but I have always had the same intention: to concentrate on my work and see how it turns out. When justice calls me, I'll just go.
'It wasn't even a night out. I had five days off, I decided to leave. I was going to go somewhere else, but the coach said I needed to be somewhere less visible.
'I'm doing well, I'm relaxed. Before I leave, there's this photo of me leaving the restaurant. There were many people ready to welcome me when I left, many journalists…'
He added: “As I got on the plane, I received the news. I have no idea who [the complainant] is.'
His then-lawyer pushed back on the allegations, insisting her client was “stunned” and “categorically” denied any wrongdoing.
“We are talking about a complaint that has been filed, and at the moment we do not know against whom,” Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard said on French television channel TF1. 'A complaint yields nothing.
'Mbappe is never alone. He is never alone, so he would be exposed to a situation where he would take a risk. This completely rules out any form of misconduct. It is an absolute certainty.
'He is extremely serene, but bewildered by all the media hype. He has no idea what he is accused of. If there is an investigation, he will submit to Swedish justice. But he is calm, because he has nothing to blame himself for.'
The player struggled with his form after a strong start in Madrid, missing two penalties in defeats to Liverpool and Athletic Club, but appears to be turning a corner under Carlo Ancelotti with three goals in his last four LaLiga appearances.
Mbappe has not been called up to the France squad since focusing on his recovery in October, although Didier Deschamps has claimed his latest criticism is a 'one-off'.
This time, however, he allegedly told Deschamps that he would like to participate, but he was left out in the cold in a huge shock.
“I have had a few conversations with Mbappe and have made the decision to leave him out this time,” said the Les Bleus head coach.
'What I can tell you are these two things: first, that Kylian wanted to come. And secondly, it is not the additional sporting problems that come into play, as the presumption of innocence exists and must exist. It is a one-time choice for this meeting.'
He added: “We may not agree on everything. These are discussions I can have with the players. I'm not here so the players can tell me I'm the most beautiful and the best. I listen. I have always nurtured these discussions, both individually and collectively, and protected all players.”
'That is why I can have many discussions that can go beyond the purely field atmosphere, because they know very well that we know who has spoken if something comes out.
'These exchanges are important to me. In retrospect, calmly and with as much clarity as possible, I make the decisions that seem best to me.'
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