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Sweden Ends Rape Investigation Allegedly Targeting Kylian Mbappe The prosecutor cited insufficient evidence.

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FILE: Real Madrid’s French forward #09 Kylian Mbappe looks on from the bench during the UEFA Champions League football match between Lille LOSC and Real Madrid at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, northern France, on October 2, 2024.
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An investigation into alleged rape and sexual assault in Stockholm which Swedish media said targeted Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has been closed due to insufficient evidence, the Swedish prosecutor said Thursday.

Mbappe, the 25-year-old Frenchman who is one of the highest-profile players in world football, visited the Swedish capital October 9-11 with a group of people after he was left out of his country’s squad for a Nations League match.

Sweden’s prosecution authority announced on October 15 that it was investigating an alleged incident that occurred at an upscale Stockholm hotel on October 10, without mentioning the suspect by name.

Several Swedish media outlets, including newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen and public broadcaster SVT, identified Mbappe as the suspect.

“My assessment is that the evidence is not sufficient to proceed and the investigation is therefore closed,” prosecutor Marina Chirakova said in a statement that also did not mention Mbappe by name.

Chirakova said the person in question had not been interrogated and “not been notified of suspicion of a crime”.

“I have concluded, based on what has emerged in the case, that new evidence, including interrogations of the person in question, would not change the evidence situation right now,” she told AFP.

She said her team had nonetheless “conducted a large number of interviews in the investigation”.

Petra Eklund, the lawyer for the plaintiff, whose name has not been disclosed, told AFP she had “no comment” to the news that the case had been closed.

Mbappe’s lawyer said in October that he was “shocked” to see his name linked to the investigation.

Speaking for the first time about the case on Sunday, he told French television show Clique he was “not involved”.

“I haven’t received anything, no summons… I’m not involved,” he said.

According to Aftonbladet, Mbappe and his entourage dined at a restaurant one evening before going on to a nightclub.

The complaint was filed on October 12 after the alleged victim had sought medical attention, according to the newspaper.

Expressen reported 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 hotel with brown bags.

Difficult season

Mbappe joined Madrid this summer after seven years at Paris Saint-Germain and has 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 has had a difficult season since moving to reigning European champions Real Madrid from PSG in the summer, failing to find his top form.

However the Frenchman scored in Madrid’s 3-2 win against Italian side Atalanta on Tuesday which revived Real’s flagging bid to regain their Champions League title.

Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham were all on the scoresheet in Bergamo as Madrid moved up to 20th place in the Champions League table, on nine points from six matches.

The Spanish giants would have been at risk of dropping out of the Champions League play-off places if they had lost.

Mbappe won the World Cup as a teenager in 2018 in Russia and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final in Qatar which France lost on penalties to Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

At PSG he was part of a superstar trio with Messi and Brazilian forward Neymar, but the Qatar-owned club were unable to win the Champions League.

AFP

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Australian Open: Sabalenka beats Badosa to reach third straight Australian Open final

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3 hours ago

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January 24, 2025

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Aryna Sabalenka. (Photo- WTA X/@WTA) © Provided by Asian News International (ANI)
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Melbourne [Australia], January 23 (ANI): Two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka reached her third successive Australian Open final, defeating 11th seed Paula Badosa in the semifinal on Thursday.

Beating Badosa 6-4, 6-2, the defending champion now has a chance to win her third Australian Open title. She also extended her winning streak at Melbourne Park to 20 matches.

The star player remains undefeated in 2025, extending her win streak to 11 matches. Sabalenka, 26, is the first woman to reach three Australian Open finals since Serena Williams and the youngest since Martina Hingis.

With this win, Sabalenka improved her record against Badosa to six wins and two losses. She will face either world number two Iga Swiatek or number 14 Madison Keys in the title clash. Sabalenka is also aiming to become the first woman to win three successive Australian Open titles since Hingis, who won from 1997 to 1999.

Badosa, the Spaniard, is set to return to the top 10 in the WTA rankings after making it to her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal. She also secured her first top-10 win at a Grand Slam, defeating Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals.

Badosa made a strong start to the match, holding a 2-0, 40-0 lead but failed to convert it into a triple-game point. Sabalenka steadied herself and broke Badosa in an eight-minute game to put the match back on serve. The world number one then won four successive games to build a 4-2 lead. From that point, she never looked back and did not face another break point in a match that lasted almost one and a half hours.

Sabalenka secured the win with 26 winners and 18 unforced errors, while Badosa managed just eight winners and 14 unforced errors. (ANI)

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info

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The 10 most valuable left-backs in world football in 2025: Calafiori, Gvardiol, Balde…

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21 hours ago

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January 23, 2025

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Left-back is one of the most important positions in modern football, capable of elevating a good team into a great one – but who are the 10 highest-valued in the game today?

There is a blossoming set of players who, as you can see from this list, have already been snapped up by the big clubs and look likely to take that next step up relatively soon.

Using figures from Transfermarkt, we’ve taken a look at the 10 highest-valued left-backs in world football, with their figures taking into account their recent form, age and their potential.

10. Alex Grimaldo – €40million

Grimaldo was unfortunate not to feature more for Spain at Euro 2024 after a superb season with Bayer Leverkusen.

The left-back played a big part in their Bundesliga success, netting 10 goals and 15 assists in 33 league appearances.

An excellent set-piece taker with the technique of a high-quality attacking midfielder, Grimaldo’s creativity is invaluable for Xabi Alonso’s team.

9. Andrea Cambiasso – €45million

Versatile wing-back Cambiaso was used in a variety of positions by Massimiliano Allegri during his debut season at Juventus, including an inverted role so beloved by managers today.

Continuing to thrive under Thiago Motta, Cambiasso has caught the attention of Manchester City in recent months and would be a fine addition to any elite squad.

8. Riccardo Calafiori – €45million

Having shone at Bologna last season, before shining at Euro 2024 despite Italy’s abysmal tournament, Calafiori was snapped up by Arsenal in the summer window and hasn’t looked back since.

Announcing himself with a stunning goal against Manchester City, the 22-year-old has suffered from injury in his debut season in England but has looked a fine talent when available.

7. Destiny Udogie – €45million

Udogie was the talk of the Premier League at the start of the 202-/24 season, causing havoc with his bursts into the final third and quality on the ball after joining Tottenham.

That form hasn’t been replicated since, with the Italy international prone to lapses of concentration and having suffered with injuries, but the 22-year-old remains a player of vast potential.

6. Theo Hernandez – €50million

Having been unceremoniously cast aside by Real Madrid, Hernandez quickly found a home at AC Milan and is now in his sixth season in Italy.

The France international has been remarkably consistent with the Rossoneri, rarely bettered by his opposing winger and often chipping in with goals and assists at the other end.

There are few more well-rounded players than Hernandez in world football and he’s the archetypal modern full-back.

READ NEXT: Where are they now? The best predicted XI in world football in 2024 according to FIFA 15

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the 20 defenders with the most assists in Premier League history?

5. Alphonso Davies – €50million

It is easy to dismiss Davies as a speed merchant, a player whose remarkable speed gives him an advantage against flat-footed opponents.

And there is no question that the left-back’s explosiveness is the Bayern Munich star’s most eye-catching attribute.

But Davies is also a superb dribbler, an adept defender and has real vision. It’s no surprise that Bayern are delighted he’s reportedly set to extend his contract at the Allianz Arena.

4. Alejandro Balde – €50million

It appears as if Barcelona have stumbled upon the heir to Jordi Alba’s throne in Catalonia – and it hasn’t cost the infamously cash-strapped club a single penny.

Balde was excellent in 2022-23 as Xavi’s side lifted the La Liga title, but suffered an inconsistent campaign the following year.

But the young Spain international is thriving under Hansi Flick and is justifiably high on this list as a result.

3. Nuno Mendes – €55million

Despite his youth, Mendes is a league champion in two different countries and has all the makings of a superstar.

The PSG and Portugal star is as explosive as they come and his pinpoint crossing ability means he could easily develop into an assist king in the coming years.

2. Federico Dimarco – €60million

Dimarco is one of the best crossers in world football; the Inter Milan defender whips the ball into the box with the kind of pace and accuracy that makes strikers drool.

Now an established Italy international and a key player for Inter, Dimarco has been at the top of his game for several years.

What he lacks in pace he more than makes up for with his technical quality and tactical intelligence. No wonder he’s so high on this list.

1. Josko Gvardiol – €75million

Gvardiol is one of many players to have been transformed by Pep Guardiola, who signed him as a dominant centre-back and turned him into a powerful, goal-scoring left-back.

The Croatia international took a bit of time to adapt to the Premier League following his move to Manchester City in 2023, but has added positional intelligence and an attacking edge to his game.

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Kai Havertz: Premier League explain why goal was disallowed as new footage emerges

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5 days ago

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January 19, 2025

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  • Kai Havertz’s disallowed goal vs Aston Villa has generated intense discussions online after the late VAR call
  • Arsenal faithful thought they had gotten a winner against Unai Emery’s side, only for the VAR to rule it out
  • The discussions have revolved around which part of Havertz’s body the ball hit, even as the EPL offered an explanation

Arsenal fans are convinced Kai Havertz’s goal against Aston Villa was wrongly disallowed after new footage emerged.

Havertz thought he had won the game for the Gunners after he deflected Mikel Merino’s shot past Emi Martinez, only for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to chalk it off.

A big screen at the Emirates shows VAR reviewing Kai Havertz’s goal against Aston Villa. Photo by Glyn Kirk. Source: Getty Images

 

Why Havertz’s late goal vs Aston Villa was disallowed

Initial replays showed that the ball hit the German’s hand as he attempted to get out of the way. The Premier League immediately explained why the goal was disallowed.

“The Arsenal goal was awarded on-field. The VAR established that the ball hit Havertz’s arm immediately before entering the goal and recommended that the goal was disallowed.”

This is in line with IFAB’s Section 12, which states,

“It is an offence if a player: 1) scores in the opponents’ goal, directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper and 2) immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental.”

New footage of Havertz’s ‘handball’ emerges

However, despite the explanation, a section of Arsenal fans are still convinced the ball didn’t hit Havertz’s arm after a new slow-motion video surfaced.

The ball appears to ricochet against the former Chelsea forward’s stomach before going in.

@EmanDaGoon asked,

“Kai Havertz ‘handball’ in slow motion. Please tell me I’m not going crazy, but where’s the handball?”

https://twitter.com/EmanDaGoon/status/1880703807266660588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1880703807266660588%7Ctwgr%5E3be27dc6df6ace64f4b3eba5582159d1dd157108%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tuko.co.ke%2Fsports%2Ffootball%2F575915-kai-havertz-premier-league-explain-goal-disallowed-footage-emerges%2F

@SamColeman said,

“If that ball indeed hit his right hand, the trajectory of the ball will certainly not be up. The same video shows it coming off his midriff. Either way, it’s inconclusive.”

The disallowed goal was another disappointment to Mikel Arteta, who saw his side blow away a two-goal lead and drop points in the title race yet again.

Liverpool vs Arsenal EPL title race

Liverpool had earlier beaten a stubborn Brentford thanks to a Darwin Nunez brace in stoppage time, and Arsenal needed nothing short of a win to maintain the chase at the top.

https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1880706868579868985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1880706868579868985%7Ctwgr%5E3be27dc6df6ace64f4b3eba5582159d1dd157108%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tuko.co.ke%2Fsports%2Ffootball%2F575915-kai-havertz-premier-league-explain-goal-disallowed-footage-emerges%2F

Leandro Trossard was the star of the show, setting up the two goals for Gabriel Martinelli and Havertz inside the first 55 minutes. Youri Tielemans, however, pulled one back before Watkins scored the equaliser after poor marking inside the Arsenal area.

The stalemate leaves Arsenal six points behind Liverpool, who still have that game in hand.

Reactions to Arsenal draw

TUKO.co.ke has also reported on the reactions of Arsenal fans after they squandered a two-goal lead.

The Gunners dominated most of the game, but two defensive lapses in the second half allowed Emery’s side to get back into it.

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