Harry Maguire detained in Greece after alleged assault on police officer
Manchester United’s captain, Harry Maguire, is expected to be charged with aggravated assault after he allegedly hit a police officer and was arrested following an altercation on Thursday evening in Mykonos.
The England defender is set to spend his second night in police custody as he answers the charge on the neighbouring island of Syros – the administrative centre for the region – at 10am local time on Saturday.
Maguire was with friends in a bar on the Greek island when the incident occurred and the 27-year-old was subsequently detained along with two of them and taken to a police station for questioning before being transferred to Syros by boat.
“The soccer player was verbally abusive to an officer and then hit him. The three were resisting when brought to the Mykonos police station,” said a police official, who added Maguire and his friends had been taken to Syros to face charges brought by a public prosecutor.
Greek media reported that Maguire had got into “a very heated altercation” with other English holidaymakers on the party island late in the evening. When police, subsequently called to the scene, attempted to break up the brawl they were verbally abused.
“There were several policemen there. At some point one of the three members of the group – they were aged 27, 28 and 29 – threw a swing at one of the policemen and a fight ensued,” added the spokesperson Petros Vassilakis.
“All of the three were arrested but during the effort to do so the other two, including the football player, got violent also. They threw down at least two policemen, hit them with their fists and kicked them.
“I can’t tell you what they were telling us,” he added. “All English swearwords against the authorities and against the work of the police. All three, including the football player, are being held in custody, locked up in Mykonos cell. They will appear before a state prosecutor on the island of Syros to be charged with aggravated assault.”
Maguire, according to his lawyer Konstantinos Darivas, denies the allegations and is “fully convinced that tomorrow he will be released without any charges”.
Speaking to the Guardian from Syros late Friday, Darivas said Maguire would appear before a public prosecutor early Saturday. “The appearance is scheduled for 10am. We do not expect it to last long. We will know a lot more tomorrow.”
A statement from United read: “The club is aware of an alleged incident involving Harry Maguire in Mykonos. Contact has been made with Harry, and he is fully co-operating with the Greek authorities. At this time we will be making no further comment.” Maguire will have legal advice and support from club lawyers, and it is expected the player’s own legal representatives will also be involved.
If found guilty of an offence it will cause Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United’s manager, a serious problem and could threaten Maguire’s status as captain. The 27-year-old was signed last summer, the £80m fee paid to Leicester
City a world record for a centre-back. He was then made captain and has been key to the rebuilding of team culture and performance, United finishing third.
Maguire is enjoying a close-season break before the start of United’s next campaign, which begins on 19 September with the visit of Crystal Palace.
United were knocked out of the Europa League by Sevilla on Monday, with Maguire playing the whole game, and on Thursday evening his fiancee, Fern Hawkins, posted a picture to Instagram of them together with the caption: “Holidays with you ... ♥.” He was also photographed supposedly celebrating the birthday of the 2019 world snooker champion, Judd Trump, on the island.