PSG’s Achraf Hakimi charged with rape

Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi will face charges of rape in court, according to AFP.

Hakimi has been questioned and charged by prosecutors following the allegations made against him. The Hauts-de-Seine Territorial Security quizzed him about the incident yesterday.

A 24-year-old woman from Fontenay-sous-Bois in the Parisian suburbs went to a local police station to lay complaints about the matter last Sunday.

She claimed Hakimi raped her but did not press charges. However, the police officer on duty immediately notified his superiors because of the severity of the accusation.

The Creteil prosecutor’s office initially took up the case, but now the Nanterre prosecutor’s office is in charge.

They transferred the case because the incident reportedly took place in Boulogne-Billancourt, which is a town near the club’s stadium.

However, Hakimi’s lawyer Franny Colin denied the allegations against the former Real Madrid player. PSG are also backing him.

After the news broke, Hakimi was at FIFA’s The Best awards ceremony. But he is now under legal supervision.

Despite the legal troubles, Hakimi trained with Les Parisiens at the Camp des Loges ahead of their Ligue 1 fixture with Nantes on Saturday.

Hakimi will likely start the tie despite the allegations. The Ligue 1 table-toppers are gradually recovering from a mid-season slump that saw them lose three times last month.

Their poor form led to questions about the future of head coach Christophe Galtier and sporting adviser Luis Campos. Zinedine Zidane and Thomas Tuchel were linked with the job.

PSG have since arrested their downturn, coming back to beat LOSC Lille via a Lionel Messi free-kick winner. They also beat rivals Marseille.

They face Nantes this weekend before their crucial second-leg round-of-16 tie in Germany against Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

The Rekordmeister have a 1-0 advantage from the first leg courtesy of a goal by former PSG star Kingsley Coman.