Although French authorities formally investigating him over a rape allegation, Achraf Hakimi has been included in Paris Saint-team Germain’s for their Champions League last-16 matchup with Bayern Munich.
The Moroccan football player has been included in Christophe Galtier’s 22-man roster for Wednesday’s showdown at the Allianz Arena against the defending German champions.
After allegations that Hakimi had sexually assaulted a lady last month at his house in the suburbs of Paris, French authorities last week launched a formal inquiry.
Last month, a 24-year-old lady went to the police station to report an incident but chose not to press charges.
Once Hakimi was questioned on Thursday, the investigation was then launched, and a pre-trial judge is now examining the case’s merits.
Hakimi’s lawyer Fanny Colin has said the claims are ‘false’ and has claimed he has been the victim of ‘attempted racketeering’.
‘After several hours of hearings, what I take from it is that the accuser has not filed a legal complaint, has refused to submit herself to any medical or psychological tests, and refused to be confronted with Achraf Hakimi, even though the accusations rest solely on her words,’ Colin told L’Equipe.
It appears to me that Mr. Hakimi has, in this case, been the target of attempted racketeering based on the materials in the hands of the judicial police.
La Parisien reports that Hakimi has been included in the PSG roster for the Champions League round of 16 matches against Bayern Munich despite the fact that the investigation does not forbid him from leaving the country.
The full-back, who has missed PSG’s last three games due to a hamstring injury, sat out Saturday’s 4-2 victory over Nantes in order to recover.
To advance to the quarterfinals, PSG must overcome a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Bayern on Wednesday.
With a statement that said, “The club supports the player, who has strongly denied the allegations and trusts the court system,” PSG made it clear last week that they were behind the full-back. Respect is something that Paris Saint-Germain actively encourages both on and off the field.
