Rabat – Paris-Saint Germain defender and Moroccan international footballer Achraf Hakimi is reportedly “confident of his innocence,” Spanish outlet Marca reported on Tuesday.
The player, who was seen at FIFA’s The Best event on Monday night, has maintained that the rape accusations are “totally false,” the outlet added.
French news outlet Le Parisien reported on Monday that French police have opened an investigation into the player, following a report made by a woman at a police station.
While the woman refused to file an official complaint, according to the outlet, France’s public prosecution still decided to take on the case and investigate it regardless.
The 23-year-old plaintiff reportedly told the police station in Nogent-sur-Marne (Val-de-Marne) that she had been raped by the 24-year-old right-back, in an incident that dates back to January 16.
The accuser said the two had started talking on Instagram and met for the first time in person on Saturday at the athlete’s home.
Once at his house, the plaintiff reported that the footballer attempted to rape her before she was able to kick him and break free, texting a friend to pick her up once she escaped.
Le Parisien additionally reported that Hakimi was alone at the time of the incident, based on social media posts that showed his wife and two children on vacation in Dubai.
Hakimi plays as a right-back for French club Paris Saint-Germain, having previously played for other top European teams like Real Madrid and Inter Milan.
The Moroccan footballer recently starred in Morocco’s 2022 World Cup run, playing a vital role in the team reaching the semi-finals of the competition for the first time in history.
He is married to Spanish actress Hiba Abouk, with whom he has two sons.
