Didier Deschamps responds to Kylian Mbappe rape accusation as star blasts 'fake news'
Kylian Mbappe was named by a newspaper as the suspect of an alleged rape which took place at the same hotel which the France captain was staying in Stockholm last week
by Nathan Ridley · The MirrorDidier Deschamps admits there's a 'negative atmosphere' around the France camp after captain Kylian Mbappe was accused of a rape which he denies.
Mbappe, 25, didn't link up with his international team-mates this month amid fitness concerns but was pictured outside of a nightclub in the Swedish capital of Stockholm last Thursday. The Real Madrid forward was on Monday named in the Swedish press as the suspect of an alleged hotel rape, prompting Mbappe to hit out on social media and brand the claim 'fake news'.
Following France's 2-1 against Belgium in the Nations League, Deschamps addressed the allegation. "Everyone is free to write what they want but there is a negative atmosphere," the France manager told reporters.
"Be careful when you pick things up. You had better take a bit of a step back before publishing anything and everything, but these things happen so often.
"There are things that are not difficult to verify, but if you credit any old thing... In any case I am not going to talk to him about it. He is big enough to know how to communicate."
Mbappe visited Sweden with friends from Wednesday to Friday last week and stayed at the Bank Hotel in the centre of Stockholm. On the Thursday, the 25-year-old went to the Chez Jolie restaurant and later the V nightclub before he and his entourage headed back to their hotel in a black van.
Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that police were investigating a rape at the hotel, which is claimed to have happened last Thursday. Another publication, Expressen, alleged that Mbappe was the suspect.
In response to the news on social media platform X, the Frenchman said: "Fake News! It's becoming so predictable, just before the hearing as if by chance." Mbappe was seemingly referring to Tuesday's hearing as part of his battle with former club PSG over £46million in unpaid wages and bonuses before his departure in June.
Soon after, a statement from Mbappe's representatives added: "Today, a new slanderous rumour is starting to spread across the web from the Swedish media Aftonbladet. These accusations are completely false and irresponsible, and their propagation is unacceptable.
"In order to put an end to this methodical destruction of (the) image (of Kylian Mbappe), all necessary legal actions will be taken to re-establish the truth and pursue any person or media involved in the moral harassment and defamatory treatment that Kylian Mbappe is suffering repeatedly."
On Tuesday, the Swedish prosecutor's office confirmed in a statement: "Due to media reports about a suspected rape in Stockholm, the prosecutor can confirm that a report of rape has been received by the police."
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