Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea denies allegations made by Spanish press about his private life

© Provided by The Telegraph David De Gea on Friday night condemned allegations that he organised a meeting in which two girls were “sexually abused” by two footballers as “all lies” and insisted he would not allow the shocking claims to affect his preparations for Euro 2016.The Manchester United goalkeeper, 25, has reportedly been named by a protected witness in connection to a sexual assault case which is being investigated by Spanish police as part of a wider operation into a porn director accused of running a child prostitution ring.

According to papers seen by Eldiario.es, a Spanish online newspaper, De Gea is alleged to have arranged and paid for an encounter between two Spain Under-21 players and two women in a Madrid hotel in 2012.
But appearing at a media conference in Ile de Ré in France on Friday ahead of Spain’s opening game against Czech Republic in Toulouse on Monday, De Gea hit out at the “false” allegations and insisted he had no intention of pulling out of the tournament. The goalkeeper said the case was now with his lawyers.

“I was playing the PlayStation in the room when I was told about the news,” he said. “Above all I wanted to tell my family, so they know this is all false, and they can relax. It is all false. I have no idea where reports came from or how I could be [mixed up] in this.


“It is now in the hands of my lawyers. It is all lies. I never thought about leaving [the camp]. This just gives me more strength to train even harder, to help the team however I can. I just want the tournament to start and to play.”

© Provided by The Telegraph In a bizarre move by the Spanish football federation, a planned press conference with Aritz Aduriz and Héctor Bellerín went ahead moments earlier and a press officer was forced to intervene to prevent a flurry of questions about De Gea before the goalkeeper appeared himself to address reporters as concerned team-mates Gerard Piqué and Jordi Alba watched from the sides.

De Gea hopes to start against the Czechs but it remains to be seen if the dramatic developments prompt Spain coach Vicente del Bosque to play Iker Casillas in goal amid concerns that the United No 1’s concentration could be affected by the accusations levelled against him.


Police have described the witness in question as highly credible. They have also ruled out financial gain as a reason for her speaking out. The witness statements were made as part of an ongoing investigation into the activities of Ignacio Allende Fernández, better known as “Torbe”, who is being investigated for child pornography, prostitution, sexual assault, money laundering and extortion. He has been in jail since April. In total, 10 people are set to face charges, including Allende Fernández and his Ukrainian business partner, Borys Malynovskyi.

It is alleged by the witness that Fernández drove her to a hotel in central Madrid, where he told her that she would be paid “a lot of money” for having sexual relations with another woman and two footballers. The statement, as reported by Eldiario.es, claims that she was “sexually abused by both players” and “physically assaulted by both”.


A statement from another protected witness, who was aged 17, accuses Fernández of drugging her and raping her twice. She said that he made her film an explicit video which he claimed would be sent to De Gea and other players to arrange encounters.


No players have been called to testify since the statement was made in May 2015.

De Gea’s representatives have yet to make an official comment but sources close to the player told The Daily Telegraph that the accusations against him were “insane and not true at all”.