LONDON – Two players from Premier League were arrested on a rape charge. The two players are both 19 years old and play in the same team in the English top flight, but neither their names nor the club have been identified for the moment. After questioning by police, both were released on bail while investigations continue.
It was the daily newspaper Sun to reveal the news first, which was then picked up by other newspapers and by the BBC. The incident dates back to Friday, when a young woman filed a complaint saying she had been sexually assaulted by the two footballers. Apparently the episode took place in a nightclub near a stadium, it is not known in which city.
One of the accused was arrested the following day. The second was arrested on Sunday. Neither wanted to comment. It is not known whether, pending the conclusion of the investigations, they have been suspended by the club they play for, as required by the Premier League rules, which however are not always respected: last November a BBC investigation found that two Premier continued to play, and a member of the coaching staff remained in place, even though their team knew they were under investigation for sexual or domestic violence.
It is not the first time that Premier League players have been accused of rape and sexual abuse. In 2022, the recurrence of similar violence, involving high-profile footballers, pushed the English football league to introduce mandatory courses on consent in sexual relations for all players and staff of Premier League teams.
