David de Gea has responded to allegations of sexual assault against him in the Spanish media.
On Friday Spanish outlet El Diario released a report which stated that Manchester United’s star goalkeeper had been named in a sexual abuse claim in Spain.
Other reports were then rife that due to the report De Gea had left the Spanish national team on the same day the 2016 European Championships began.
De Gea says otherwise.“The first person who was surprised by this news story was me,” De Gea said, according to AS.
“It’s a lie. I feel even stronger about staying with the national team... it is all false and it is in my lawyers hands. I know what I have done with my life. It is all false,” De Gea said according to Sky Sports’ Guillem Balague.
According to El Diario, De Gea is accused of organizing a meeting between soccer players and women forced into prostitution. Another member of the current Spanish national team, Iker Muniain, is also alleged to be involved as WhatsApp messages between him and De Gea are reportedly included in evidence given to police.
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The report also states that the woman in the case is a protected witness in an ongoing legal proceeding against pornographer Ignacio Fernandez Allende. He has been charged with human trafficking for sexual exploitation, sexual assault, child pornography and other crimes.
De Gea is expected to start in goal for Spain throughout the tournament this summer.
Spain has won the last two European Championships and begins their 2016 campaign on Monday against the Czech Republic in Group D.
