Kylian Mbappe said Monday that he was the victim of “fake news” after a Swedish tabloid reported that an inquiry into rape had been initiated during a visit by the Real Madrid star’s entourage to Stockholm. Mbappe claimed in a post on X, then known as Twitter, that there was a link between the Aftonbladet piece and his appearance before a French league committee on Tuesday in his acrimonious dispute over unpaid wages with his former club Paris Saint-Germain.
“FAKE NEWS!!!!” The 25-year-old player’s entourage described the allegation as a “slanderous rumor” and vowed to take legal action. Mbappe says that the Qatari-owned French champions owe him 55 million euros ($60 million). The 2018 World Cup winner was not selected for France’s Nations League matches last week, so he spent Thursday and Friday in Stockholm.
According to Aftonbladet, Mbappe and a group of people who were with him dined at a restaurant before heading to a nightclub. The tabloid reported that a rape occurred “in Stockholm city center,” citing an official complaint lodged to police on Saturday that it had seen. Aftonbladet reported that the complaint was filed after the alleged victim sought medical assistance, but did not identify the accuser.
According to a prosecutor examining the charge, “A probe is underway into a crime that was reported on October 10 in the center of Stockholm.”
The Swedish police failed to provide any other details.
“In general, if we have received a report and chosen to conduct interviews and we make it available (to the public), those who are involved in the case may take activities that delay and confuse the investigation,” the police spokesperson, Carina Skagerlind, said.
On Monday, the Swedish daily published images on its website of police officers standing in front of the lodging establishment where Mbappe and his entourage had stayed. Mbappe’s entourage stated in a statement to AFP: “Today, a new slanderous rumor is starting to spread across the globe from the Swedish media Aftonbladet.”
“These allegations are utterly untrue and irresponsible, and their spread is inexcusable.
“To put an end to this methodical destruction of (the) image (of Kylian Mbappe), every step required legal actions will be taken to re-establish the truth and pursue any person or media involved in the moral harassment and slanderous treatment that Kylian Mbappe is suffering repeatedly,” said a statement. A Paris Saint-Germain source told AFP that the club will “ignore” Mbappe’s claim that the Swedish article was linked to his dispute with the club.