Wissam Ben Yedder, the France striker playing for Monaco, is currently under investigation following accusations of rape. The alleged incident occurred on Monday in the town of Beausoleil, located just north of Monaco on the coastal Cote d’Azur. Xavier Bonhomme, the public prosecutor of Nice, confirmed that there are two allegations of rape involving two victims, with the second person involved yet to be identified.
According to reports from France Info radio station, two young women, aged 19 and 20, have come forward accusing Ben Yedder and his younger brother of coercing them into engaging in sexual acts after a night out.
Despite the investigation, the 32-year-old footballer recently participated in Monaco’s pre-season training sessions, and his presence on the team had been applauded without other players and the governing body holding him accountable for his problematic actions.
However, his club later went on to release a statement acknowledging the situation and refraining from making any further comments, as the matter is now in the hands of the judicial process.
This is not the first legal issue Ben Yedder has faced. In April, a Spanish court convicted him of tax fraud during his time at Sevilla, resulting in a six-month suspended prison sentence and a substantial fine of 133,798 euros ($149,753).
Wissam Ben Yedder has had an interesting international career. While he has made appearances for France in futsal matches, scoring a goal, he has also represented the French national team at the under-21 level.
Due to his Tunisian heritage, Ben Yedder became eligible to play for Tunisia according to FIFA regulations. Recognizing his potential, the Tunisian Football Federation made multiple attempts to recruit him for their national team. In their quest to secure his services, they approached him on five occasions. However, despite their efforts, Ben Yedder declined their offer and chose to continue representing France instead.
This decision became evident in October 2017 when the Tunisian Football Federation admitted defeat. They realized that Ben Yedder had firmly committed himself to the French squad and would not be joining their ranks, even for the prestigious 2018 FIFA World Cup.