By Stanley Ugagbe
In a development that could cost him a lot, Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has been found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery in Greece.
Reports had it that following the development; Maguire was handed down a jail sentence of 21 months and 10 days.
However, following an appeal by his legal team on the conviction, Maguire now faces a retrial.
Recall that the 27-year-old England star hit the headlines recently as he was arrested along with his brother and friend after an altercation on holiday in Mykonos.
Meanwhile, the effects of the incident have started manifesting as the Red Devils skipper has been withdrawn from the England.
The 27-year-old now has a long court battle ahead of him – but says it won’t affect his performances as he looks forward to United’s first game of the season against Crystal Palace on September 19.
He said “It will not affect my performances. I will get over it pretty quickly”.
He praised United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and England boss Gareth Southgate for their support during the ordeal.
“It was really hard,” he said. “I have great respect for both and they have been magnificent for my career. Gareth showed great faith in me since giving me my debut. The club have been great with me and I thank them for that.”
And Maguire said he was gutted not to be involved in the Three Lions squad ahead of their games against Iceland and Denmark next month – but vowed he would come back stronger.
Yoannis Paradissis, who assisted the prosecution, told Sky Sports that the victims of the incident are waiting to receive an apology from Maguire and Co.
“When you’re a sportsman and a role model you have to accept what you’ve done and say sorry,” he said.
“Until today, we haven’t had that — they have said it’s all the fault of the policeman.
“This was not accepted by the court. The victims and the policeman were assaulted. The only thing they want is an apology.”
The lawyer added that the victims were “totally appalled” with the behaviour of Maguire and his co-defendants.
Maguire’s lawyer, Alexis Anagnostakis averred that her client’s altercation with Greek authorities came after two Albanian men had ‘injected his sister with a substance.’
