Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been given preliminary charges of rape, French prosecutors said.
The prosecutors’ office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre said Hakimi was questioned on Thursday by investigators probing rape allegations. He was then indicted by an investigating judge and placed under judicial supervision.
Under French law, preliminary charges mean there is reason to suspect a crime has been committed but it allows magistrates more time to investigate before deciding whether to send the case to trial.
Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, said the player “strongly denied accusations made against him”, in a written message to the Associated Press.
Ms Colin said her client being indicted is an “obligatory step for any person being accused of rape” and will allow Hakimi to defend himself by giving him access to the case.
Ms Colin also said that some elements collected by the judicial police show, according to her, that Hakimi “in this case has been subjected to a racketeering attempt”.
The Morocco international has been prohibited from contacting the alleged victim, a 24-year-old woman who says she was raped by Hakimi on Saturday at his home in a Paris suburb.
Hakimi is allowed to leave French territory, prosecutors said.
The Spanish-born Hakimi is a defender who helped Morocco make World Cup history last year by becoming the first African team to reach the tournament’s semi-finals. He was seen training with PSG on Friday.
Prosecutors opened their preliminary investigation on Monday.
Hakimi returned to training with PSG on Friday after a minor hamstring issue, and he could be in the team’s squad to play Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the Champions League.
PSG is scheduled to play Nantes at home on Saturday in the French league.
At a news conference on Friday, PSG coach Christophe Galtier said he would “answer no questions of a non-sporting nature (relating to) Achraf Hakimi.”
Mr Galtier said he hoped Hakimi could train with the rest of the team “to be available” to play against Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the second leg of the round of 16.
“The players were hard-working and serious,” Galtier said when asked what the mood was like at training given the case.
Hakimi appeared on stage at the Fifa Awards in Paris on Monday. He was honoured as part of the men’s all-star team, voted for by other players, and was greeted by brief, loud applause when introduced.
