Real Madrid have thrown their weight behind their star striker Kylian Mbappe over an alleged case of rape in Sweden. The incident reportedly occurred in Stockholm during Mbappe’s recent visit and surfaced after the complainant approached the police upon his October 11 departure with his friends.
Despite the grave claims, an internal club source said the same are “the biggest fake in the history of sport.” Real Madrid have not publicly addressed the situation, though the Frenchman has continued training with his teammates and is set to be ready for Saturday’s match against Celta Vigo.
Earlier reports said Real Madrid had axed Mbappe from an advertising campaign because he was aligned with Nike, but the club said at the time this was due to sponsorship contracts.
Mbappe himself had described the accusations as “fake news,” although he feels they are connected to his row over image rights with his old club Paris Saint-Germain. The player’s lawyer, Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard, also repeated he is innocent: “He has done nothing wrong. He is at ease.”
A Swedish prosecutor has confirmed an investigation has been opened, though no one so far has directly named Mbappe. Mbappe’s camp reportedly will file a defamation lawsuit against the claims.
