I don't see the comparison.
We all know what Suarez did. It isn't in question as he's on video saying it repeatedly.
No one knows what happened here.
Harry Maguire involved in incident with police in Greece - conviction nullified by appeal, full retrial pending
- Thread starter RonaldoVII
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We all know what Suarez did. It isn't in question as he's on video saying it repeatedly.
No one knows what happened here.
I didn't rush to post on this subject, however a couple of thoughts spring to mind... Those of you who are old enough will remember the kind of reception the police in foreign countries tend to "welcome" the English football fraternity with, particularly when United are involved. . Another point... If my sister was being mauled by some moody foreigner who was trying to jab her in the arm with something sharp and pointy he would get comprehensively twatted. Another point.... this was a mixed age group family holiday not a stag do. Another point... the history and repute of Maguire doesn't lens much credence to the 'official' viewpoint but to be fair booze was involved... Another point.... Greek courts have a certain reputation for having a not exactly level playing field... A final point... The speed at which the accused was processed through the system and the limited time allowed for defence would never be allowed in this country and smells fishy. In conclusion it's my humble opinion, for what that's worth, that Maguire was shafted by the Greeks because of his status and position in a Hellenic version of what the Californians call "Star-f***ing". I have no doubt that Maguire is entitled to his appeal, but whether or not it's worth it is debatable.
He is a criminal lawyer first and foremost but seemingly also works on every fields possible.
You make it seem like he's Saul Goodman. A criminal lawyer
My real worry is how this will affect Maguire´s performances going into a new season. A scary experience like this may affect your nerves a little - which again affects your concentration and your balance. I hope he´ll be able to stay focused on fotball matter in this situation, which is somehow doubtable.
theathletic.com
Explained: the Harry Maguire case
Adam Crafton and more
18-23 minutes
Other contributors: Laurie Whitwell and Oliver Kay
On an extraordinary day in English football, the Manchester United captain and England defender Harry Maguire received a suspended 21-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, from the Greek authorities.
It follows an incident last Thursday evening, where Maguire was held for two nights in cells on the islands of Mykonos and Syros. Maguire and his brother, Joe Maguire, were found guilty in court of offences including attempted bribery, repeated bodily harm and violence against public employees. Close friend Chris Sharman, who joined the brothers in Greek custody, was also found guilty of the same charges — with the exception of attempted bribery.
Joe Maguire and Sharman were sentenced to 13 months in prison, also suspended for three years. The situation was further magnified as the day of the trial in Syros also happened to be the day England manager Gareth Southgate announced his squad for fixtures against Iceland and Denmark next month. At 2pm UK time, Southgate announced Maguire would be included in his squad. Four hours later, the 27-year-old had been found guilty. By 8pm, the manager withdrew the defender from his squad altogether. Maguire and his legal team have declared their intention to appeal the verdict. It is understood this may take up to a year to transpire.
Here, The Athletic sets out the events of the past week, including why Maguire was last night still insisting he and his family were the “victims”, the possible consequences for the Manchester United captaincy and the ramifications on his England future.
What happened with Harry Maguire after Manchester United lost in the semi-final of the Europa League against Sevilla in Germany?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had allowed his players a few days off for short vacations between the end of the Premier League season in July and the resumption of European football in early August. Maguire, at that point, went for a short break to the Greek island of Santorini and it passed without complications.
After United’s Europa League exit, the club’s coaching staff and players swiftly booked holidays and Maguire and his family returned to Greece and this time headed to Mykonos, another Greek island, which has become one of the go-to destinations for leading footballers. Other United players, such as Marcus Rashford, Brandon Williams and Daniel James, also went to Mykonos. In Greece, Maguire was accompanied by his fiancee Fern Hawkins, as well as his brother Joe and sister Daisy. Maguire’s father, Alan, is also believed to have been on the family holiday. After Maguire’s gruelling debut season for United, in which the stats website Transfermarkt claimed he played more minutes than any other professional player in world football for club and country, the family foresaw a chance to spend quality time together before the defender’s football responsibilities resumed at the end of August.
So, what went wrong?
On Friday, reports emerged in Greece that an incident had taken place in the early hours of the morning and that Manchester United captain Maguire had been arrested by police. The Syros prosecutor’s office said that “three foreigners” were detained after an altercation involving police officers. The three individuals in question were Maguire, his brother Joe and a friend Chris Sharman. The trio spent two nights in a Greek cell before attending a preliminary court hearing on Saturday and sources close to the situation told The Athletic that conditions were humbling for the £80 million footballer. He was unable to contact friends or family personally over the phone. When detained in Greek cells, food and drink are not provided as a matter of course and they have to be specifically requested by those being held.
The Greek police initially claimed in a statement that their officers had attempted to defuse a row between two groups of people outside a bar in Mykonos and that the three men were detained after verbally abusing and assaulting an officer. The statement further alleged that at the police station, the three men “strongly resisted, pushing and hitting three police officers” and “one detainee tried to offer money so that the trial against them would not be completed.” A file was opened, including allegations of “violence against officials, disobedience, bodily harm, insult and attempted bribery of an official.” Maguire and his two alleged accomplices denied all these claims.
As Maguire was left in a police cell, those back home quickly scrambled to set him free. The management agency that represents Maguire, meanwhile, dispatched several representatives on a flight to Greece on Saturday morning, including his agent Kenneth Shepherd, while Maguire’s mother Zoe is also understood to have flown over to support her two incarcerated sons.
The British Foreign Office had informed both United and the player’s agency on Friday that Maguire would be handcuffed when he attended the first hearing in Syros on Saturday. They were also encouraged to gather together as much accessible cash as possible, as it was deemed likely that any sentence could ultimately be avoided by paying a hefty fine. United’s chief legal counsel, Patrick Stewart, instructed an Athens-based Greek lawyer to support Maguire’s case. Both the agency and United would have ideally liked to have a well-known British lawyer represent Maguire but only those licensed to practise in Greece can do so. As such, the agency, through its global contacts, were able to source a local legal team. All communication, at this point, went through the legal team to reach Maguire.
On Friday, United simply said: “The club is aware of an alleged incident involving Harry Maguire in Mykonos last night. 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.”
What happened at the first court appearance on Saturday?
Representatives from Maguire’s agency are believed to have arrived into the Greek islands while their client Maguire was being questioned by the public prosecutor in Syros on Saturday morning. The interrogation lasted over an hour and Maguire denied charges of assault and bribery. The three men pleaded not guilty to all charges. Maguire was granted permission to leave Greece. He flew out on Sunday and his sister Daisy returned to England. His father, Alan, and brother, Joe, remained in Syros and attended the trial on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Maguire exited the courtroom and declined to take questions from journalists waiting outside the building. Maguire’s involvement in the case has subsequently divided opinion at home. Some have criticised him for being in Mykonos in the first place and believe that footballers should isolate themselves from the general public when heading away, although it is also true footballers are criticised, too, for appearing to live exclusive existences away from the common man. Mykonos does have a lively bar scene but plenty of footballers have visited there lately without anything like the problems Maguire encountered. Indeed, United’s own pair of Shaw and James were in Mykonos only yesterday and actually going through intensive workouts at the Mykonos Performance training camp. Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin and Bournemouth’s Joshua King have also previously attended, along with Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer.
On Tuesday, the trial took place. Why did Maguire’s defence team seek to adjourn the case?
This became a day of claim and counter-claim between the prosecution representing the Greek police and the attorney defending the Maguire brothers and Sharman. The situation is further complicated as no CCTV footage was available and the policemen in question did not wear body cameras. As such, the courtroom battle became a case of the defence arguing against the prosecution without visual evidence.
The day started in fractious fashion, as Maguire’s lawyer insisted they had not been permitted adequate time to prepare for the case. The judge swiftly declined their request for an adjournment. This baffled United, who appointed an Athens-based lawyer to support Maguire’s defence. Surprisingly, the charge sheet only arrived at 5pm on Monday, before the evidence, 50 pages long, was made available at 8am on Tuesday morning. This left Maguire’s legal team with only a couple of working hours to prepare the defence before a 10am start.
What was Maguire’s defence?
Maguire’s account of events on Thursday evening contrasts sharply with that presented by the police.
Sources close to the player explained to The Athletic that four couples (friends and family of Maguire) were out together in Mykonos.
The fracas, they claimed, began when two men, described as “sounding or looking Albanian” in court, approached Maguire’s sister, Daisy, and, they believe, injected her with a substance. She subsequently fainted, they claim. Ashden Morley, a friend of Maguire present on the night, supported this account as a defence witness. According to Sky News’ Martha Kelner, reporting from court, Morley explained that Maguire’s fiancee, Fern, had spotted Daisy’s eyes rolling backwards and the group had suspected that she had been injected with a “rape drug”.
The court heard Maguire had hired a driver and minibus for the duration of the trip. This had been recommended to him by the residence where Maguire was staying. As tension rose and concerns grew for Daisy, Maguire instructed his driver to take her back to the villa or to a local hospital to seek medical attention.
Maguire rejected that he was involved in a brawl with the allegedly “Albanian” men but accepted there was a confrontation with the men accused of attacking his sister. Undercover plain-clothed police officers then began talking to Maguire’s minibus driver in Greek and ordered the driver to attend the police station.
The station was described by the Maguire brothers and Sharman as an unusual-looking building and sources close to the player claimed on Tuesday night that Maguire feared he was being kidnapped. This fear was then heightened, they claim, when eight Greek men, also plain-clothed, abused Maguire at the station, shouting “Your career is over” while kicking his legs. A subsequent medical examination seen by the defence was said to show bruising that supported this account but Maguire’s legal team said they had insufficient time to incorporate forensic evidence into his case.
The three Englishmen still say they did not know at this point the eight men were policemen and therefore resisted being arrested, fearing they were being robbed. They were subsequently arrested and detained. Sources close to Maguire told The Athletic on Tuesday night that his legal team believe video footage should be available at the police station which will show that the police, rather than Maguire and his friends, were the aggressors. In addition, it is believed that the accused men have some mobile phone footage, which was not allowed to be used in court on Tuesday. This, along with the forensic evidence of the injuries, would greatly enhance their prospects upon appeal.
The police fiercely contested Maguire’s version. A policeman told court he did not personally see Albanian men striking the English trio and Maguire’s lawyer then asked how the policeman would therefore explain injuries present on the defendants. A second policeman supported his colleague’s account.
One police officer alleged in court that as he attempted to handcuff Maguire, the United defender pushed him over and the officer injured his leg, requiring a painkilling injection and the following day off work. An officer also alleged that at the police station, Maguire said to him: “Please, let me go, I am very rich, I can pay, I am the leader of Manchester United.” The prosecuting lawyers claimed the officers attempted to defuse the situation but one of the defendants instead said “feck, feck the police” and one defendant punched an officer. Maguire categorically denies saying anything along the lines of “Do you know who I am…?”
What did the court decide?
Maguire was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insult. Maguire received a 21 month and 10 days prison sentence. This was suspended as it was a first offence and the charges were misdemeanors.
His brother Joe was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, violence against public employees and attempted bribery. Sharman was found guilty of insult, repeated bodily harm and violence against public employees.
How has Maguire responded and are Manchester United standing by their captain?
Maguire said after Tuesday’s verdict that he had instructed his legal team “with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing”. He added: “I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter — if anything myself, family and friends are the victims.”
Manchester United issued a statement of their own. They said: “Harry Maguire pleaded not guilty to all of the misdemeanor charges made against him and he continues to strongly assert his innocence. It should be noted that the prosecution confirmed the charges and provided their evidence late on the day before the trial, giving the defence team minimal time to digest them and prepare. A request for the case to be adjourned was subsequently denied. On this basis, along with the substantial body of evidence refuting the charges, Harry Maguire’s legal team will now appeal the verdict, to allow a full and fair hearing at a later date.”
On Tuesday evening, Maguire and United were understood to be hugely disappointed by his treatment by the Greek authorities. Indeed, a well-placed source told The Athletic United do not intend to strip Maguire of the captaincy at this stage, although the club’s priority in recent days has been his welfare and legal defence, rather than matters on the field. A source close to Maguire conceded United were likely to conduct their own investigation before reaching a firm conclusion.
United’s statement is, however, clearly supportive of their player, who on Tuesday night remained entirely steadfast in his belief that an appeal would see him exonerated. United are aware that Maguire and his sister Daisy have visible injuries following the incidents and they believe full forensic evidence of bruising would have greatly enhanced their player’s prospects in court.
United also do not believe their player has been unprofessional by going on a family holiday and enjoying some time with his family. There has not, for example, been social media footage of drunken antics, as clubs usually expect to surface after incidents such as these. There were, however, photographs of Maguire appearing visibly worse for wear.
The verdict is now subject to appeal and the United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has been kept abreast of developments by Maguire’s legal team in recent days, will likely stand by his man at the very least until any further legal proceedings are concluded.
Solskjaer has spoken directly to Maguire and been a supportive presence. Maguire will be free to travel for Champions League games despite the convictions.
Solskjaer in many ways takes his lead from Sir Alex Ferguson and those familiar with the Norwegian’s methods were expecting him to stand by his captain in the coming weeks and months. Solskjaer was a United player in a Ferguson team captained by Roy Keane. On one occasion in the 1998-99 treble-winning season, Keane was arrested in between United winning the Premiership title and the FA Cup final, after being accused of assaulting a woman in a bar. Keane remained United captain. The case was later dropped.
Solskjaer has, however, emphasised the importance of a positive culture at United and he sharply rebuked midfielder Jesse Lingard last summer after he posted a crude Snapchat video.
Solskjaer said: “That has been dealt with internally. I am old-school, old-fashioned. I am quite big on discipline, yeah. I am quite big on self-discipline and we can’t spoon-feed all these players, they have got to do it themselves.
“Of course, I have had many, many years at this club and I have seen which players have been successful — they are strong characters. You have got to be a strong character to play here. [These players] have to make their own decisions, and in life as well.”
What does this mean for England and Southgate?
Southgate, who has built his defence around Maguire in recent years, spoke to the player on Monday to hear his version of events. He was selected for the squad to face Iceland and Denmark when Southgate named his squad at 2pm on Tuesday afternoon. At a press conference, Southgate said: “It’s clearly a decision that’s not straightforward…I’ve spoken to Harry and have the insight that’s very different to what’s been reported…if the facts or information changes I’ll have to review that decision.”
At that point, Maguire remained an innocent man but only a few hours later, he was found guilty. By Tuesday evening, the Football Association were reviewing Southgate’s decision and shortly before 8pm, he was withdrawn from the squad.
Southgate spoke again to Maguire and his representatives on Tuesday after the verdict to communicate the decision. Southgate said: “In light of this evening’s developments, I can confirm I have withdrawn Harry Maguire from the England squad for the matches against Iceland and Denmark. As I said earlier today, I reserved the right to review the situation. Having spoken to Manchester United and the player, I have made this decision in the best interests of all parties and with consideration of the impact on our preparations for next week.”
For Southgate, it does appear to be a rather embarrassing U-turn but the FA felt it could not delay the squad announcement as it was unsure as to when the case would conclude in Greece. Southgate also wanted to make decisions based on the information available to him at a given moment. On Monday, he trusted Maguire’s word and by Tuesday evening, he recognised that while he may have personal sympathy for his player, the case had the potential to overshadow the next few weeks.
It is not expected to be a permanent exclusion from the England squad but rather it is now seen as being in Maguire’s best interests to not be involved over the coming week due to the attention now on him and his family.
Southgate has, however, previously taken a strong line on discipline such as when he dropped Raheem Sterling following a training ground row with Joe Gomez, while Wayne Rooney apologised when he was pictured at a wedding party at a team hotel during Southgate’s period as interim manager.
Maguire is understood to be accepting that his national team manager has wider responsibilities when selecting a squad, whereas his club can close ranks to protect him. Contrary to media reports, Maguire is not back in England but has in fact taken his immediate family to a quiet holiday destination to escape the spotlight. His fiancee, Fern, concluded the day by posting a quote from the Buddha on Instagram, also shared by Maguire, which read: “Three things cannot be long hidden; the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
(Top photo: EUROKINISSI / AFP) (Photo by EUROKINISSI/AFP via Getty Images)
Explained: the Harry Maguire case
Adam Crafton and more
18-23 minutes
Other contributors: Laurie Whitwell and Oliver Kay
On an extraordinary day in English football, the Manchester United captain and England defender Harry Maguire received a suspended 21-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, from the Greek authorities.
It follows an incident last Thursday evening, where Maguire was held for two nights in cells on the islands of Mykonos and Syros. Maguire and his brother, Joe Maguire, were found guilty in court of offences including attempted bribery, repeated bodily harm and violence against public employees. Close friend Chris Sharman, who joined the brothers in Greek custody, was also found guilty of the same charges — with the exception of attempted bribery.
Joe Maguire and Sharman were sentenced to 13 months in prison, also suspended for three years. The situation was further magnified as the day of the trial in Syros also happened to be the day England manager Gareth Southgate announced his squad for fixtures against Iceland and Denmark next month. At 2pm UK time, Southgate announced Maguire would be included in his squad. Four hours later, the 27-year-old had been found guilty. By 8pm, the manager withdrew the defender from his squad altogether. Maguire and his legal team have declared their intention to appeal the verdict. It is understood this may take up to a year to transpire.
Here, The Athletic sets out the events of the past week, including why Maguire was last night still insisting he and his family were the “victims”, the possible consequences for the Manchester United captaincy and the ramifications on his England future.
What happened with Harry Maguire after Manchester United lost in the semi-final of the Europa League against Sevilla in Germany?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had allowed his players a few days off for short vacations between the end of the Premier League season in July and the resumption of European football in early August. Maguire, at that point, went for a short break to the Greek island of Santorini and it passed without complications.
After United’s Europa League exit, the club’s coaching staff and players swiftly booked holidays and Maguire and his family returned to Greece and this time headed to Mykonos, another Greek island, which has become one of the go-to destinations for leading footballers. Other United players, such as Marcus Rashford, Brandon Williams and Daniel James, also went to Mykonos. In Greece, Maguire was accompanied by his fiancee Fern Hawkins, as well as his brother Joe and sister Daisy. Maguire’s father, Alan, is also believed to have been on the family holiday. After Maguire’s gruelling debut season for United, in which the stats website Transfermarkt claimed he played more minutes than any other professional player in world football for club and country, the family foresaw a chance to spend quality time together before the defender’s football responsibilities resumed at the end of August.
So, what went wrong?
On Friday, reports emerged in Greece that an incident had taken place in the early hours of the morning and that Manchester United captain Maguire had been arrested by police. The Syros prosecutor’s office said that “three foreigners” were detained after an altercation involving police officers. The three individuals in question were Maguire, his brother Joe and a friend Chris Sharman. The trio spent two nights in a Greek cell before attending a preliminary court hearing on Saturday and sources close to the situation told The Athletic that conditions were humbling for the £80 million footballer. He was unable to contact friends or family personally over the phone. When detained in Greek cells, food and drink are not provided as a matter of course and they have to be specifically requested by those being held.
The Greek police initially claimed in a statement that their officers had attempted to defuse a row between two groups of people outside a bar in Mykonos and that the three men were detained after verbally abusing and assaulting an officer. The statement further alleged that at the police station, the three men “strongly resisted, pushing and hitting three police officers” and “one detainee tried to offer money so that the trial against them would not be completed.” A file was opened, including allegations of “violence against officials, disobedience, bodily harm, insult and attempted bribery of an official.” Maguire and his two alleged accomplices denied all these claims.
As Maguire was left in a police cell, those back home quickly scrambled to set him free. The management agency that represents Maguire, meanwhile, dispatched several representatives on a flight to Greece on Saturday morning, including his agent Kenneth Shepherd, while Maguire’s mother Zoe is also understood to have flown over to support her two incarcerated sons.
The British Foreign Office had informed both United and the player’s agency on Friday that Maguire would be handcuffed when he attended the first hearing in Syros on Saturday. They were also encouraged to gather together as much accessible cash as possible, as it was deemed likely that any sentence could ultimately be avoided by paying a hefty fine. United’s chief legal counsel, Patrick Stewart, instructed an Athens-based Greek lawyer to support Maguire’s case. Both the agency and United would have ideally liked to have a well-known British lawyer represent Maguire but only those licensed to practise in Greece can do so. As such, the agency, through its global contacts, were able to source a local legal team. All communication, at this point, went through the legal team to reach Maguire.
On Friday, United simply said: “The club is aware of an alleged incident involving Harry Maguire in Mykonos last night. 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.”
What happened at the first court appearance on Saturday?
Representatives from Maguire’s agency are believed to have arrived into the Greek islands while their client Maguire was being questioned by the public prosecutor in Syros on Saturday morning. The interrogation lasted over an hour and Maguire denied charges of assault and bribery. The three men pleaded not guilty to all charges. Maguire was granted permission to leave Greece. He flew out on Sunday and his sister Daisy returned to England. His father, Alan, and brother, Joe, remained in Syros and attended the trial on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Maguire exited the courtroom and declined to take questions from journalists waiting outside the building. Maguire’s involvement in the case has subsequently divided opinion at home. Some have criticised him for being in Mykonos in the first place and believe that footballers should isolate themselves from the general public when heading away, although it is also true footballers are criticised, too, for appearing to live exclusive existences away from the common man. Mykonos does have a lively bar scene but plenty of footballers have visited there lately without anything like the problems Maguire encountered. Indeed, United’s own pair of Shaw and James were in Mykonos only yesterday and actually going through intensive workouts at the Mykonos Performance training camp. Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin and Bournemouth’s Joshua King have also previously attended, along with Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer.
On Tuesday, the trial took place. Why did Maguire’s defence team seek to adjourn the case?
This became a day of claim and counter-claim between the prosecution representing the Greek police and the attorney defending the Maguire brothers and Sharman. The situation is further complicated as no CCTV footage was available and the policemen in question did not wear body cameras. As such, the courtroom battle became a case of the defence arguing against the prosecution without visual evidence.
The day started in fractious fashion, as Maguire’s lawyer insisted they had not been permitted adequate time to prepare for the case. The judge swiftly declined their request for an adjournment. This baffled United, who appointed an Athens-based lawyer to support Maguire’s defence. Surprisingly, the charge sheet only arrived at 5pm on Monday, before the evidence, 50 pages long, was made available at 8am on Tuesday morning. This left Maguire’s legal team with only a couple of working hours to prepare the defence before a 10am start.
What was Maguire’s defence?
Maguire’s account of events on Thursday evening contrasts sharply with that presented by the police.
Sources close to the player explained to The Athletic that four couples (friends and family of Maguire) were out together in Mykonos.
The fracas, they claimed, began when two men, described as “sounding or looking Albanian” in court, approached Maguire’s sister, Daisy, and, they believe, injected her with a substance. She subsequently fainted, they claim. Ashden Morley, a friend of Maguire present on the night, supported this account as a defence witness. According to Sky News’ Martha Kelner, reporting from court, Morley explained that Maguire’s fiancee, Fern, had spotted Daisy’s eyes rolling backwards and the group had suspected that she had been injected with a “rape drug”.
The court heard Maguire had hired a driver and minibus for the duration of the trip. This had been recommended to him by the residence where Maguire was staying. As tension rose and concerns grew for Daisy, Maguire instructed his driver to take her back to the villa or to a local hospital to seek medical attention.
Maguire rejected that he was involved in a brawl with the allegedly “Albanian” men but accepted there was a confrontation with the men accused of attacking his sister. Undercover plain-clothed police officers then began talking to Maguire’s minibus driver in Greek and ordered the driver to attend the police station.
The station was described by the Maguire brothers and Sharman as an unusual-looking building and sources close to the player claimed on Tuesday night that Maguire feared he was being kidnapped. This fear was then heightened, they claim, when eight Greek men, also plain-clothed, abused Maguire at the station, shouting “Your career is over” while kicking his legs. A subsequent medical examination seen by the defence was said to show bruising that supported this account but Maguire’s legal team said they had insufficient time to incorporate forensic evidence into his case.
The three Englishmen still say they did not know at this point the eight men were policemen and therefore resisted being arrested, fearing they were being robbed. They were subsequently arrested and detained. Sources close to Maguire told The Athletic on Tuesday night that his legal team believe video footage should be available at the police station which will show that the police, rather than Maguire and his friends, were the aggressors. In addition, it is believed that the accused men have some mobile phone footage, which was not allowed to be used in court on Tuesday. This, along with the forensic evidence of the injuries, would greatly enhance their prospects upon appeal.
The police fiercely contested Maguire’s version. A policeman told court he did not personally see Albanian men striking the English trio and Maguire’s lawyer then asked how the policeman would therefore explain injuries present on the defendants. A second policeman supported his colleague’s account.
One police officer alleged in court that as he attempted to handcuff Maguire, the United defender pushed him over and the officer injured his leg, requiring a painkilling injection and the following day off work. An officer also alleged that at the police station, Maguire said to him: “Please, let me go, I am very rich, I can pay, I am the leader of Manchester United.” The prosecuting lawyers claimed the officers attempted to defuse the situation but one of the defendants instead said “feck, feck the police” and one defendant punched an officer. Maguire categorically denies saying anything along the lines of “Do you know who I am…?”
What did the court decide?
Maguire was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insult. Maguire received a 21 month and 10 days prison sentence. This was suspended as it was a first offence and the charges were misdemeanors.
His brother Joe was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, violence against public employees and attempted bribery. Sharman was found guilty of insult, repeated bodily harm and violence against public employees.
How has Maguire responded and are Manchester United standing by their captain?
Maguire said after Tuesday’s verdict that he had instructed his legal team “with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing”. He added: “I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter — if anything myself, family and friends are the victims.”
Manchester United issued a statement of their own. They said: “Harry Maguire pleaded not guilty to all of the misdemeanor charges made against him and he continues to strongly assert his innocence. It should be noted that the prosecution confirmed the charges and provided their evidence late on the day before the trial, giving the defence team minimal time to digest them and prepare. A request for the case to be adjourned was subsequently denied. On this basis, along with the substantial body of evidence refuting the charges, Harry Maguire’s legal team will now appeal the verdict, to allow a full and fair hearing at a later date.”
On Tuesday evening, Maguire and United were understood to be hugely disappointed by his treatment by the Greek authorities. Indeed, a well-placed source told The Athletic United do not intend to strip Maguire of the captaincy at this stage, although the club’s priority in recent days has been his welfare and legal defence, rather than matters on the field. A source close to Maguire conceded United were likely to conduct their own investigation before reaching a firm conclusion.
United’s statement is, however, clearly supportive of their player, who on Tuesday night remained entirely steadfast in his belief that an appeal would see him exonerated. United are aware that Maguire and his sister Daisy have visible injuries following the incidents and they believe full forensic evidence of bruising would have greatly enhanced their player’s prospects in court.
United also do not believe their player has been unprofessional by going on a family holiday and enjoying some time with his family. There has not, for example, been social media footage of drunken antics, as clubs usually expect to surface after incidents such as these. There were, however, photographs of Maguire appearing visibly worse for wear.
The verdict is now subject to appeal and the United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has been kept abreast of developments by Maguire’s legal team in recent days, will likely stand by his man at the very least until any further legal proceedings are concluded.
Solskjaer has spoken directly to Maguire and been a supportive presence. Maguire will be free to travel for Champions League games despite the convictions.
Solskjaer in many ways takes his lead from Sir Alex Ferguson and those familiar with the Norwegian’s methods were expecting him to stand by his captain in the coming weeks and months. Solskjaer was a United player in a Ferguson team captained by Roy Keane. On one occasion in the 1998-99 treble-winning season, Keane was arrested in between United winning the Premiership title and the FA Cup final, after being accused of assaulting a woman in a bar. Keane remained United captain. The case was later dropped.
Solskjaer has, however, emphasised the importance of a positive culture at United and he sharply rebuked midfielder Jesse Lingard last summer after he posted a crude Snapchat video.
Solskjaer said: “That has been dealt with internally. I am old-school, old-fashioned. I am quite big on discipline, yeah. I am quite big on self-discipline and we can’t spoon-feed all these players, they have got to do it themselves.
“Of course, I have had many, many years at this club and I have seen which players have been successful — they are strong characters. You have got to be a strong character to play here. [These players] have to make their own decisions, and in life as well.”
What does this mean for England and Southgate?
Southgate, who has built his defence around Maguire in recent years, spoke to the player on Monday to hear his version of events. He was selected for the squad to face Iceland and Denmark when Southgate named his squad at 2pm on Tuesday afternoon. At a press conference, Southgate said: “It’s clearly a decision that’s not straightforward…I’ve spoken to Harry and have the insight that’s very different to what’s been reported…if the facts or information changes I’ll have to review that decision.”
At that point, Maguire remained an innocent man but only a few hours later, he was found guilty. By Tuesday evening, the Football Association were reviewing Southgate’s decision and shortly before 8pm, he was withdrawn from the squad.
Southgate spoke again to Maguire and his representatives on Tuesday after the verdict to communicate the decision. Southgate said: “In light of this evening’s developments, I can confirm I have withdrawn Harry Maguire from the England squad for the matches against Iceland and Denmark. As I said earlier today, I reserved the right to review the situation. Having spoken to Manchester United and the player, I have made this decision in the best interests of all parties and with consideration of the impact on our preparations for next week.”
For Southgate, it does appear to be a rather embarrassing U-turn but the FA felt it could not delay the squad announcement as it was unsure as to when the case would conclude in Greece. Southgate also wanted to make decisions based on the information available to him at a given moment. On Monday, he trusted Maguire’s word and by Tuesday evening, he recognised that while he may have personal sympathy for his player, the case had the potential to overshadow the next few weeks.
It is not expected to be a permanent exclusion from the England squad but rather it is now seen as being in Maguire’s best interests to not be involved over the coming week due to the attention now on him and his family.
Southgate has, however, previously taken a strong line on discipline such as when he dropped Raheem Sterling following a training ground row with Joe Gomez, while Wayne Rooney apologised when he was pictured at a wedding party at a team hotel during Southgate’s period as interim manager.
Maguire is understood to be accepting that his national team manager has wider responsibilities when selecting a squad, whereas his club can close ranks to protect him. Contrary to media reports, Maguire is not back in England but has in fact taken his immediate family to a quiet holiday destination to escape the spotlight. His fiancee, Fern, concluded the day by posting a quote from the Buddha on Instagram, also shared by Maguire, which read: “Three things cannot be long hidden; the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
(Top photo: EUROKINISSI / AFP) (Photo by EUROKINISSI/AFP via Getty Images)
Well, he is a criminal lawyer and his website tells you that he also works in all sort of fields Social Media law, Entertainment law, investor services or Drone Law. He may be a great lawyer but we are not talking about a human right lawyer, he isn't working for Lawyers without borders.
The tweets from the court room. The prosecution never said Maguire struck them as far as I saw? just that he resisted and 1 of them got knocked over.
Yes I believe Maguire as we have an idea of who he is as a person, and I don't believe he would "attack" police unprovoked or without reason. Do I believe the Police are lying or exagerrating to benefit their case? yes most likely.
The fact they gave the defence about 2 hours to mount a case is a joke and clearly shows they wanted to rush it through before they had a chance to defend themselves correctly. Why is it they're in such a rush may we ask?
I’m speaking about how the incident is viewed and reacted to by our fans. Let me put it another way. If Maguire was not a United player, and this story came out, would there have been such a rush to jump to his defense, talk about the Greek police, what may have actually happened etc?
Just because he’s a United player doesn’t mean we automatically need to become rabid over defending him for something non football related. That’s where the parallel between this and the Suarez situation comes in. Just like they were saying he didn’t mean it in a racist way, those words are normal in Uruguay etc, it’s the same way our fans are saying the Greek police are known to be corrupt, the case was a sham etc. There parallels are there. I doubt the Liverpool fans would have tried to defend that so much if he played for West Ham.
We don’t need to love and defend every aspect of our players. Giggs is absolute scum as a person for what he did to his brother, but he’s still my favorite United player ever. Who they are as a player and who they are as a person are different.
I can honestly say I'd think it seems like complete bogus.
My Liverpool-supporting mates think its bogus as well.
Arguably Suarez didn't actually commit a crime
In fairness you don't have to work for a charity to be a human rights lawyer. Most don't but that's a bit off topic
It did affect Alexis Sanchex, though.....
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...will-miss-start-manchester-united-pre-season/
Here's the wording:
Maguire’s account of events on Thursday evening contrasts sharply with that presented by the police.
They made you think it's maguire's account
Sources close to the player explained to The Athletic that four couples (friends and family of Maguire) were out together in Mykonos.
It's actually not maguire, it's just "sources close to the player"
The fracas, they claimed, began when two men, described as “sounding or looking Albanian” in court, approached Maguire’s sister, Daisy, and, they believe, injected her with a substance.
"They claimed" so it wasn't actually maguire's statement. Described as "sounding or looking albanian" which mean they don't actually know
She subsequently fainted, they claim.
They claim
Ashden Morley, a friend of Maguire present on the night, supported this account as a defence witness.
According to Sky News’ Martha Kelner, reporting from court, Morley explained that Maguire’s fiancee, Fern, had spotted Daisy’s eyes rolling backwards and the group had suspected that she had been injected with a “rape drug”.
Again eyes rolling back ? again "suspected and claims", it's not actually a given
The court heard Maguire had hired a driver and minibus for the duration of the trip. This had been recommended to him by the residence where Maguire was staying. As tension rose and concerns grew for Daisy, Maguire instructed his driver to take her back to the villa or to a local hospital to seek medical attention.
Maguire rejected that he was involved in a brawl with the allegedly “Albanian” men but accepted there was a confrontation with the men accused of attacking his sister. Undercover plain-clothed police officers then began talking to Maguire’s minibus driver in Greek and ordered the driver to attend the police station.
The station was described by the Maguire brothers and Sharman as an unusual-looking building and sources close to the player claimed on Tuesday night that Maguire feared he was being kidnapped.
Again subjective and it is actually a police station
This fear was then heightened, they claim,
Fear was heightened, they claim
when eight Greek men, also plain-clothed, abused Maguire at the station, shouting “Your career is over” while kicking his legs. A subsequent medical examination seen by the defence was said to show bruising that supported this account but Maguire’s legal team said they had insufficient time to incorporate forensic evidence into his case.
The three Englishmen still say they did not know at this point the eight men were policemen and therefore resisted being arrested, fearing they were being robbed.
You don't know whether it's a real police station?? there's videos of his buddies protesting infront of the police station
They were subsequently arrested and detained. Sources close to Maguire told The Athletic on Tuesday night that his legal team believe video footage should be available at the police station which will show that the police, rather than Maguire and his friends, were the aggressors.
Again sources "Close to maguire" which probably means bullshit
In addition, it is believed that the accused men have some mobile phone footage, which was not allowed to be used in court on Tuesday.
It is believed, again. Word play
This, along with the forensic evidence of the injuries, would greatly enhance their prospects upon appeal.
Greatly enhance
The police fiercely contested Maguire’s version. A policeman told court he did not personally see Albanian men striking the English trio and Maguire’s lawyer then asked how the policeman would therefore explain injuries present on the defendants. A second policeman supported his colleague’s account.
Even the "sources close to the player" can't be sure it's albanian
One police officer alleged in court that as he attempted to handcuff Maguire, the United defender pushed him over and the officer injured his leg, requiring a painkilling injection and the following day off work. An officer also alleged that at the police station, Maguire said to him: “Please, let me go, I am very rich, I can pay, I am the leader of Manchester United.” The prosecuting lawyers claimed the officers attempted to defuse the situation but one of the defendants instead said “feck, feck the police” and one defendant punched an officer. Maguire categorically denies saying anything along the lines of “Do you know who I am…?”
Maguire’s account of events on Thursday evening contrasts sharply with that presented by the police.
They made you think it's maguire's account
Sources close to the player explained to The Athletic that four couples (friends and family of Maguire) were out together in Mykonos.
It's actually not maguire, it's just "sources close to the player"
The fracas, they claimed, began when two men, described as “sounding or looking Albanian” in court, approached Maguire’s sister, Daisy, and, they believe, injected her with a substance.
"They claimed" so it wasn't actually maguire's statement. Described as "sounding or looking albanian" which mean they don't actually know
She subsequently fainted, they claim.
They claim
Ashden Morley, a friend of Maguire present on the night, supported this account as a defence witness.
According to Sky News’ Martha Kelner, reporting from court, Morley explained that Maguire’s fiancee, Fern, had spotted Daisy’s eyes rolling backwards and the group had suspected that she had been injected with a “rape drug”.
Again eyes rolling back ? again "suspected and claims", it's not actually a given
The court heard Maguire had hired a driver and minibus for the duration of the trip. This had been recommended to him by the residence where Maguire was staying. As tension rose and concerns grew for Daisy, Maguire instructed his driver to take her back to the villa or to a local hospital to seek medical attention.
Maguire rejected that he was involved in a brawl with the allegedly “Albanian” men but accepted there was a confrontation with the men accused of attacking his sister. Undercover plain-clothed police officers then began talking to Maguire’s minibus driver in Greek and ordered the driver to attend the police station.
The station was described by the Maguire brothers and Sharman as an unusual-looking building and sources close to the player claimed on Tuesday night that Maguire feared he was being kidnapped.
Again subjective and it is actually a police station
This fear was then heightened, they claim,
Fear was heightened, they claim
when eight Greek men, also plain-clothed, abused Maguire at the station, shouting “Your career is over” while kicking his legs. A subsequent medical examination seen by the defence was said to show bruising that supported this account but Maguire’s legal team said they had insufficient time to incorporate forensic evidence into his case.
The three Englishmen still say they did not know at this point the eight men were policemen and therefore resisted being arrested, fearing they were being robbed.
You don't know whether it's a real police station?? there's videos of his buddies protesting infront of the police station
They were subsequently arrested and detained. Sources close to Maguire told The Athletic on Tuesday night that his legal team believe video footage should be available at the police station which will show that the police, rather than Maguire and his friends, were the aggressors.
Again sources "Close to maguire" which probably means bullshit
In addition, it is believed that the accused men have some mobile phone footage, which was not allowed to be used in court on Tuesday.
It is believed, again. Word play
This, along with the forensic evidence of the injuries, would greatly enhance their prospects upon appeal.
Greatly enhance
The police fiercely contested Maguire’s version. A policeman told court he did not personally see Albanian men striking the English trio and Maguire’s lawyer then asked how the policeman would therefore explain injuries present on the defendants. A second policeman supported his colleague’s account.
Even the "sources close to the player" can't be sure it's albanian
One police officer alleged in court that as he attempted to handcuff Maguire, the United defender pushed him over and the officer injured his leg, requiring a painkilling injection and the following day off work. An officer also alleged that at the police station, Maguire said to him: “Please, let me go, I am very rich, I can pay, I am the leader of Manchester United.” The prosecuting lawyers claimed the officers attempted to defuse the situation but one of the defendants instead said “feck, feck the police” and one defendant punched an officer. Maguire categorically denies saying anything along the lines of “Do you know who I am…?”
You don't but when you also don't specializes in it and claim that you are a criminal lawyer while also mentioning an array of fields that have nothing to do with Human Rights, you can't be labelled as a human right lawyer. Now I know that the press used that term and that you didn't make it up but it's an interesting description from them.
Ah!
this clears things up much better.
So the altercation happened outside of the bar.
The police spoke to Maguire's driver without them knowing and told them to go to the police station.
Maguire and the rest expected to go back to their apartment or hospital - instead they turned up at a different area and were greeted by more off duty policeman.
No wonder they kicked off, what a stupid situation. The police have really handled that badly.
The whole thing actually went to court, attended by lawyer recommended by the UK embassy with half of Europe taking note.
You still think it's a fake police and off duty policeman looking for extra cash?
Which is more believable:
A drunk Brits getting into a fight and mouth off to cops
or
The whole Greek conspired, including the UK embassy, it's actually an IMF level of fake police station, and the greedy cops somehow managed to bribed the judge, and his fine actually goes to the coppers pocket, and the judges, and everyone's is in the cut. Oh throw in the Albanian gangster as well cause they're probably in it for the cut.
In reality most human rights lawyers have other specialisations or specialisms within human rights.
Anyway.. In my experience lawyers give their best advice on the merits of their case and billable hours are not a consideration when drafting the advice. That is especially so with human rights lawyers who in my experience are extremely disinterested in billing. But that is a ridiculously obscure point in this story
Maguire feared he was being kidnapped. What a load of crap
Are you accusing United fans for being biased when it comes to United and United players? What a terrible sin, sticking by your own.
Hell yeah, I´m biased. I´m a United fan. I trust Maguire´s version of the events a hell lot more than the Greece police, and until I see any hard evidence supporting their side, Harry has my full support just as much as he´ll have Ole´s and the club´s full support.
It's essentially a he says she says situation, with no visual evidence by the police, the whole case is reliant on who the court believe.
A potentially drunk bunch of foreigners or police? Not hard to tell who the court will side with, evidence irrespective.
The fact that the authorities offered Maguire's defence team hours to prepare, were not willing to accept the forensic and visual evidence willing to be provided by Maguire's team ( bruising and physical harm) kind of shows that they would rather paint the typical Brits abroad notion rather than the corrupt cops situation which is also entirely feasible in this instance.
I fully expect the appeal to be successful based on the fact that A) the defense team has more time to prepare, b) they have physical forensic evidence to back up Maguire's statement,
Also with United's stance I'd also expect them to assist with the appeal lending more credence to Maguire statement.
That's probably quite a huge fear for a rich person. Kidnappings happen all the time.
His story changes again . He clearly watched Taken recently and seems to think quoting the plot from that will save him .
It’s the most plausible aspect of the entire story.
How do you know his story has changed? You’ve been posting on speculation all the way through this thread, believing it and then acting like Maguire has changed his story.
Unreal how far people are willing to go to defend him .
If his next version has him saying he saw a UFO or he was worried about flying sharks I expect the majority of posts here saying " that's probably a reasonable fear for him I believe everything he is saying "
I love Utd but I just do not understand why so many people think supporting a team means you have to blindly defend players from that team no matter what they did or what their story is .
This has been worse than the Liverpool fans defence of Suarez . At least they never blamed an entire country out to get all rich English footballers or Albanian gangsters
The whole 2 hour before trial thing is something that happens in Magistrates court in England.
In fact it's less than 2 hours sometimes.
Basically your solicitor gets the charges the CPS are making on the day of the trial not before.
In fact it's less than 2 hours sometimes.
Basically your solicitor gets the charges the CPS are making on the day of the trial not before.
His next version? Have you heard him telling any other version? You´re clearly having a bias as well, but not the one you would expect from a United supporter.
Unreal how far people are willing to go to defend him .
If his next version has him saying he saw a UFO or he was worried about flying sharks I expect the majority of posts here saying " that's probably a reasonable fear for him I believe everything he is saying "
I love Utd but I just do not understand why so many people think supporting a team means you have to blindly defend players from that team no matter what they did or what their story is .
This has been worse than the Liverpool fans defence of Suarez . At least they never blamed an entire country out to get all rich English footballers or Albanian gangsters
You're extremely niave if you don't think rich people get kidnapped for Ransom. Why would that not be a believable worry late at night in a strange country? especially when you've just been driven somewhere against your will.
Unreal how far people are willing to go to defend him .
If his next version has him saying he saw a UFO or he was worried about flying sharks I expect the majority of posts here saying " that's probably a reasonable fear for him I believe everything he is saying "
I love Utd but I just do not understand why so many people think supporting a team means you have to blindly defend players from that team no matter what they did or what their story is .
This has been worse than the Liverpool fans defence of Suarez . At least they never blamed an entire country out to get all rich English footballers or Albanian gangsters
Honestly, you sound like you just hate Maguire for some reason and won't accept anything but him being Guilty because that suits you. Very weird.
Wonder if he has another gear he's yet to find, don't think so. He didn't need to be VVD; who's like a 9.2/10 but it would have been nice if he was at least a 7.8/10. He's a 7.2 for me and no more.
Funny justice system that rushes to court before time for a proper investigation and opportunity to find local witnesses etc...
No system is perfect but we usually allow time for defence to scrutinise evidence and witness etc....this was rushed through
We need to get Liam Neeson to take out those bloody Albanian gangsters to ensure that place is safe for everyone again. Are those gangsters illegal immigrants or what? Why can't the local police there do anything to them? Is it because of corruption?
Indeed. But many people in here prefer to base their idea of a trial on the representation in Hollywood. So you will likely be ignored.
Everyone can act as the big tough guy on the internet. But when this kind of incident really happens to you and your family in a foreign country where you don't speak the local language, you'll be saying otherwise
I wish he was Saul. If he was I’d get him involved with the Sancho deal immediately. He’d be a United player within hours.
Mate I'm far from definitive Maguire's supporter in that case but just analyze hypothetical reasons for a hypothetical cover up. And that's the only thing I can come up with.
However, if it's true that no footage was allowed in the court and the defence had 2 hours to prepare then yes, it is dodgy.
Ogden reporting he has the club support and is to remain captain.
Who was the last rich famous person kidnapped for ransom? Just Curious.
funny reading comments on here about how Harry is a lovely stand up guy and we know his character and he wouldn’t assault police, just because we’ve seen him play football and give a few interviews
Free the slab head one
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