Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi, who has been formally charged for the alleged rape of a young woman, is among the 22 players Paris Saint-Germain will send to Germany for their trip to Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
Hakimi, born in Madrid in 1998, has been formally charged three days ago by the Prosecutor’s Office for an alleged rape of a young woman two weekends ago, in an investigation conducted at the Court of Nanterre after the alleged victim came to the police station of Nogent-sur-Marne and claimed that he had raped her, although she did not file a complaint.
Last Thursday afternoon, the Moroccan international was formally charged with rape. The Public Prosecutor’s Office specified that a judicial control has been imposed on him that prevents him from entering in contact with the young woman, although he has been released.
Subsequently, the footballer’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, issued a statement in which she stressed that her client “firmly denied the accusations” and emphasized that the indictment is a “mandatory step” for anyone who has been the subject of rape accusations and that this will allow them “the possibility of defending themselves”.
After being formally charged by the Nanterre prosecutor’s office, there was speculation as to whether or not Achraf Hakimi would be able to leave the country, and there was doubt as to whether he would be able to travel with PSG for the important match against Bayern Munich, where the French side will have to come back from a 1-0 deficit in the first leg away from home.
Finally, the player has been able to enter the PSG call-up list, whose coach Christophe Galtier has included him in the list of 22 players who, this afternoon, will travel to Bavaria.
The list does not include the Brazilian Neymar, who will undergo surgery on his right ankle, which will cause him to miss the rest of the season, but it does include Leo Messi, Kylian Mbappé, the Spaniards Sergio Ramos, Fabián Ruiz, Juan Bernat, Sergio Rico and Carlos Soler and the Brazilian Marquinhos, among others.