Two Premier League footballers from the same team were arrested over the weekend in connection with a reported rape.
The first player, aged 19, was approached by police at their club stadium on suspicion of assault and aiding and abetting a rape and was arrested after leaving the premises.
He was held overnight and later questioned under caution. The second player, also 19, was arrested the following day on suspicion of rape.
The alleged incident occurred on Friday night, and the alleged victim reported it to the police shortly afterwards.
Both players have been released on police bail. According to The Sun, police initially spoke to one of the players in a private room at the stadium.
The club has stated that it will not comment further as the matter is now being handled by the police.
This is not the first time Premier League players have been involved in legal issues concerning alleged sexual offences.
Last March, Paul Tierney, who found himself embroiled in a controversy during the Nottingham Forest versus Liverpool game over a mishandled dropped ball situation, was sidelined from officiating a Premier League game this weekend.
The incident occurred when Tierney did not execute a dropped ball for Forest in a favourable position after halting play due to a head injury to Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate.
Despite Forest eventually regaining control, they suffered a loss due to a goal in the final moments, missing out on a crucial point for their Premier League survival.
Insiders from the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd maintain that Tierney’s absence from field refereeing is not a demotion. He is part of the rotation of officials who switch roles between VAR and on-field refereeing.
