STOCKHOLM: A Swedish prosecutor said Tuesday a rape investigation had been opened without mentioning Kylian Mbappe, following media reports that the Real Madrid and France star was the suspect following a visit to Stockholm.

Swedish newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen and public broadcaster SVT on Tuesday reported that 25-year-old Mbappe was the target of the investigation, following his two-day visit to the Nordic capital last week.

“In response to media reports about a suspected rape in Stockholm, the prosecutor can confirm that a criminal report has been submitted to the police,” Sweden’s Prosecution Authority said in a statement. It added that the alleged incident occurred at a hotel on October 10, but did not name a suspect and said no further information could be shared for the moment.

Expressen on Monday identified Mbappe as the suspect, citing anonymous sources, while Aftonbladet and SVT said Tuesday they had also had obtained information confirming Mbappe was the suspect. Expressen said Mbappe was “reasonably suspected” of rape and sexual assault, the lower of two grades of suspicion in the Swedish legal system.

According to the Prosecution Authority, the higher degree of suspicion, “probable cause,” is usually a prerequisite for a suspect to be remanded in custody prior to a formal charge. Contacted by AFP on Monday, Mbappe’s entourage said it had no knowledge of a legal complaint made against him.

Seized evidence

The French international was not selected for his country’s latest round of Nations League matches, so visited the Swedish capital with a group of people last Thursday. According to Aftonbladet, they dined 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 had sought medical attention. Expressen reported Tuesday that police had seized some clothing as evidence, saying it consisted of women’s underwear, a pair of black trousers and a black top. On Monday, Mbappe himself claimed in a post on X that there was a link between the Aftonbladet report and his hearing before a French league committee on Tuesday, in his bitter dispute with his former club Paris Saint-Germain over what he says are unpaid wages.

“FAKE NEWS !!!!. It’s becoming so predictable, on the eve of the hearing, as if by chance,” Mbappe posted. A source close to Paris Saint-Germain told AFP Monday it would “ignore” Mbappe’s claim that there was a link between the report in Sweden and his dispute with the club.

Mbappe’s entourage said in a statement given to AFP on Monday: “Today, a new slanderous rumor is starting to spread across the web from the Swedish media Aftonbladet. “These accusations are completely false and irresponsible, and their propagation is unacceptable.” The statement said “all necessary legal action will be taken to re-establish the truth”.

Stellar career

Mbappe claims he is owed 55 million euros ($60 million) by the Qatari-owned French champions. The French league (LFP) ordered PSG in September to pay Mbappe the 55 million euros in wages and bonuses he claimed he was owed at the time of his departure for Real Madrid at the end of last season.

The committee, which will notably be made up of two members of the French national players’ union, a magistrate and an independent president, can confirm or overturn the LFP’s order. Mbappe joined Madrid this summer after seven years at PSG and has up until now stayed clear of scandal in his private life.

The forward, who is known for carefully managing his image through a close network of family, lawyers and spokespeople, has become one of the world’s highest paid players after a stellar career that began when he was barely into his teens.

He joined Pele as the only teenager to score in a World Cup final when France beat Croatia 4-2 to win the 2018 edition and was voted Best Young Player of the tournament. Four years later in Qatar, he scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina but finished on the losing side as Lionel Messi’s side won in a penalty shootout. – AFP