PARIS: Kylian Mbappe was “shocked” to see his name linked to a Swedish rape investigation and the Real Madrid and France star will take legal action for libel, his lawyer told AFP on Tuesday. Mbappe’s lawyer, Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard, insisted that the captain of the French national team was “at ease” because “he has done nothing wrong”, after media reports in Sweden said the player was a suspect following a visit with friends to Stockholm.

A Swedish prosecutor said earlier Tuesday that a rape investigation had been opened without mentioning Mbappe. Swedish newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen, as well as public broadcaster SVT, reported that Mbappe was the target of the investigation, following his two-day visit to the city last week.

Speaking to AFP, Canu-Bernard said Mbappe had “asked my office not to leave things as they are because it is impossible to allow yourself to be slandered and defamed in this way”. “This is why we are going to file a complaint for libel.” Sweden’s Prosecution Authority said that the alleged rape had occurred at a hotel on October 10 but did not name a suspect and said no further information could be shared for the moment.

“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,” a statement said. According to a filing with the Stockholm district court reviewed by AFP, the alleged offence took place at the upscale Bank Hotel in the centre of Sweden’s capital.

The names of the plaintiff and the suspect were both redacted in the document. Expressen on Monday identified Mbappe as the suspect, citing anonymous sources, while Aftonbladet and SVT said Tuesday they had also obtained information confirming Mbappe was the suspect.

Expressen said Mbappe was “reasonably suspected” of rape and sexual assault, the lower of two degrees 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. Lawyer Petra Lund, who represents the plaintiff, told AFP on Tuesday that she “could not give any comment at this stage”.

Seized evidence

The French star was not selected for his country’s latest round of UEFA Nations League matches, and so visited the Swedish capital with a group of people from last Wednesday. 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.

Photographs showed police officers leaving the Bank Hotel with brown bags on Monday. Mbappe claimed in a post on X on Monday there was a link between the report and the hearing before a French league committee on Tuesday over his bitter dispute with his former club Paris Saint-Germain over what he says is 55 million euros ($60 million) in unpaid wages.

“FAKE NEWS !!!!. It’s becoming so predictable, on the eve of the hearing, as if by chance,” he wrote. After the hearing, a source close to Qatari-owned PSG said the league would give its decision on October 25. Mbappe’s entourage said in a statement to AFP on Monday that the accusations were “completely false and irresponsible” and added that “all necessary legal action will be taken to re-establish the truth”.

Stellar career

Mbappe signed for Madrid in June 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 saw him break through as a teenager at Monaco.

A 19-year-old Mbappe 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 he 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 team as Lionel Messi’s side won in a penalty shoot-out. — AFP