Olympiakos defender Semedo arrested over rape allegation

Athens (AFP) – Portuguese footballer Ruben Semedo of reigning Greek champions Olympiakos was brought before an Athens public prosecutor on Monday on charges of raping a 17-year-old girl.

The 27-year-old central defender was arrested on Sunday after the girl told police that he, and a 40-year-old Nigerian man who was arrested on Monday, had lured her back to his house and raped her. 

Semedo met the girl at a bar in the seaside town of Oropos for drinks on Saturday and then drove her to his home in the Athens suburb of Glyfada where the girl said she was raped.

His lawyer Stavros Georgopoulos told reporters outside the court that the player denied the accusation.

“My client denies the accusation. He claimed that the complainant was 19 years old,” the lawyer said.

The accused was led away from the hearing in hand-cuffs.

He added that Semedo and the alleged victim were part of “a group that was together for 15 hours, it is inconceivable that they were involved in such an incident”.

Olympiakos said it would take no action against the player, nor would it comment on the matter pending a judgement.

“Olympiakos fully respects the presumption of innocence,” a club statement said.

Semedo has recently been linked with a move to Porto or Torino.

He joined Piraeus-based Olympiakos two years ago on a four-year contract from Spanish club Villarreal.

He left Villarreal after being convicted of attempted murder for which he was given a five-year jail term but he avoided going to prison in exchange for an eight-year ban on entering Spanish territory under an agreement struck in 2020. He was also fined 46,000 euros ($54,300).