Premier League Player Arrested Who Is It?

Who is player arrested in Manchester

Mason Greenwood: Manchester United player arrested over alleged breach of bail conditions Police spokesman: “Greater Manchester Police are aware of an allegation regarding a 21-year-old man breaching his bail conditions and an arrest has been made on Saturday 15 October 2022. Enquiries are ongoing at this time.” Saturday 15 October 2022 16:26, UK Image: Mason Greenwood has been arrested over an alleged breach of bail conditions

Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood has been arrested over an alleged breach of bail conditions.The 21-year-old was first held in January over the alleged rape and assault of a young woman after images and videos were posted online.He was also questioned on suspicion of making threats to kill.He has been on bail since.A police spokesman said: “Greater Manchester Police are aware of an allegation regarding a 21-year-old man breaching his bail conditions and an arrest has been made on Saturday 15 October 2022.”Enquiries are ongoing at this time.”Within hours of the allegations surfacing online at the beginning of the year, the forward – who has made one appearance for England – was suspended from playing or training with the Old Trafford club.Nike suspended and later terminated its sponsorship deal with Greenwood, while Electronic Arts confirmed his removal from active squads on its FIFA 22 game. Sky Sports News has contacted Manchester United for comment.

: Mason Greenwood: Manchester United player arrested over alleged breach of bail conditions

Who is Manchester City player arrested?

Ex-Man City player Benjamin Mendy acquitted of UK sex offences Published On 14 Jul 2023 14 Jul 2023 A British court has found former Manchester City football player not guilty of one count of rape and one of attempted rape. Mendy, 28, broke down in tears as the verdicts were given by the jury foreman on Friday after a three-week trial at Chester Crown Court in northwest England.

1. He had stood for the verdicts but sank to his seat, his head on his knees, wiping away tears with a tissue.
2. List of 4 items list 1 of 4 list 2 of 4 list 3 of 4 list 4 of 4 end of list In January, the defender had also been found not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
3. Benjamin Mendy would like to thank the members of the jury for focusing on the evidence in this trial, rather than on the rumour and innuendo that have followed this case from the outset,” Mendy’s solicitor said in a statement.

“This is the second time that Mr Mendy has been tried and found not guilty by a jury. He is delighted that both juries reached the correct verdicts.” Mendy had denied the charges and said the incidents were consensual encounters. The jury of six men and six women considered the verdicts for more than three hours.

• Mendy joined Manchester City from Ligue 1 side AS Monaco in 2017 for a fee of about $68m.
• The former France international became subject to a police investigation after 13 women made allegations against him and co-accused Louis Saha Matturie.
• Mendy last played for Manchester City against Tottenham Hotspur in August 2021 and was suspended by the Premier League club later that month when he was arrested.

Manchester City released him when his contract expired last month. Source: News Agencies : Ex-Man City player Benjamin Mendy acquitted of UK sex offences

Who is the soccer player arrested in London

The Premier League club whose player has been arrested on suspicion of rape has told The Athletic it is not suspending him. The footballer was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of rape and then re-arrested for allegedly committing two more attacks on a different woman.

He denies the allegations. Despite Mason Greenwood being suspended by his club, Manchester United, after he was arrested on suspicion of rape and assault and another club suspending a player after he was arrested on suspicion of committing child sex offences, this club, who like the player we cannot name for legal reasons, is not taking the same step.

Yves Bissouma, then of Brighton and now of Tottenham, was not suspended by his club when he was arrested alongside a man in his 40s under suspicion of sexual assault in Brighton last October. He has since been cleared of the allegation. Benjamin Mendy, of Manchester City, who has denied nine sexual offences against six women, played for his club until he was charged by police.

• The player, who is in his late twenties but cannot be named for legal reasons, was first arrested in north London on suspicion of rape and taken into custody.
• He was subsequently released on bail.
• The player’s club said in a statement to The Athletic : “We are aware of the allegations which are currently the subject of a police investigation.

“We have confirmed that the player denies the allegations and is on police bail pending the outcome of their enquiries. There have been no charges laid and the player can fulfil his professional commitments including permitted travel. “We take our commitments and responsibilities seriously and have followed our safeguarding policies and procedures.

1. We will keep this matter under close consideration and will review further if circumstances change.” The club’s decision not to suspend the player in question comes while Greenwood remains suspended by United following his arrest on suspicion of rape, assault and threats to kill.
2. Greenwood was originally arrested on January 30 on suspicion of rape and assault.

He was further arrested for sexual assault and threats to kill two days later. He remains on bail following a hearing in June. A third Premier League club suspended a player last season after he was arrested on suspicion of committing child sex offences. GO DEEPER What we can and cannot report when a footballer is arrested Get all-access to exclusive stories. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.

Will Mason Greenwood play again?

Manchester United Plc footballer Mason Greenwood will not return to play for the club after it concluded an internal investigation, less than a week after a leaked plan to reintegrate him into the club sparked controversy. Greenwood, 21, hasn’t played for the club since January 2022.

What happened to Sigurdsson?

What is the Gylfi Sigurdsson controversy? – In July 2021, Sigurdsson – identified only as a ” Premier League footballer” – was arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse of a minor. Icelandic media soon reported on the player’s identity, and Everton immediately suspended Sigurdsson.

Why did Mandy get arrested?

Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy cleared of six rape charges

The Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has been found not guilty of raping four women and sexually assaulting another during alcohol-fuelled parties at his Cheshire mansion.The former French international slumped with his head in his hands as he was cleared unanimously of six counts of rape and one of sexual assault after a five-month trial at Chester crown court.However, the 28-year-old will face a second trial after the jury was unable to reach verdicts on a charge of raping one woman and attempting to rape another.

Mendy, who appeared close to tears in the court dock, had been accused of being a “predator” who turned the pursuit of women for sex into a game during parties, some held during Covid lockdowns, at his £4.8m home. But he told jurors that the women who accused him of rape had all wanted to have sex with him.

1. He denied groping the woman who claimed he had sexually assaulted her in his kitchen.
2. In a statement issued by his solicitors after the verdicts, Mendy said he was “delighted” with the acquittals.
3. The footballer “looks forward to clearing his name” on the two remaining counts “so he can start rebuilding his life”, the statement said.

Mendy will go on trial over the two remaining charges on 26 June – two and half years after he was first arrested. The footballer, who joined Manchester City six years ago as the world’s most expensive defender, had been accused of seven counts of rape against four women, one count of attempted rape against a fifth woman and a further charge of sexual assault against a sixth woman after being arrested on 11 November 2020.

Mendy’s co-defendant, Louis Saha Matturie, who had been described as the footballer’s “fixer”, broke down in tears as he was found not guilty of three charges of rape involving two women. The jury was unable to reach verdicts on six other counts against the 41-year-old: four alleged rapes against three women and the alleged sexual assault of two women.

He will go on trial for those charges in the week commencing 18 September. The jury of seven men and four women was discharged on Friday after deliberating for nearly 70 hours over 14 days. One juror had been discharged partway through the trial. Mendy told his trial it was “normal” for him to sleep with lots of different women, sometimes on the same night as they had had sex with his friends.

1. Being a famous footballer made it “honestly, so easy” to pick up women at nightclubs and take them to his home near the Cheshire village of Prestbury, he said.
2. The six women had accused him of assaulting them at his gated mansion between October 2018 and August 2021, often at illegal parties held during lockdowns.

The parties were fuelled by alcohol and nitrous oxide balloons and often involved guests stripping down in Mendy’s pool. People would have sex in rooms all over the house, sometimes swapping partners, the court heard. One woman was only 17 when she claimed she was raped on the same night by Mendy and Matturie, known as Saha.

1. The men were cleared of four counts of rape relating to her.
2. The prosecution said it was Matturie’s job to “procure” attractive young women for Mendy and to bring them back to his home, called The Spinney.
3. Several weeks into the trial, the judge ordered the jury to find both Mendy and Matturie not guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman, after a video emerged showing her having “enthusiastic and obviously consensual sex” with Matturie.

Mendy’s defence team used this dropped charge to plant doubt in the jury’s mind, suggesting that if one woman had lied, could the others not also have made up their allegations? “What you have actually seen with your own eyes in this case is – I hesitate to use the word – a real-life liar,” said Eleanor Laws KC in her closing speech to the jury.

1. Someone who has made serious criminal allegations against two men.
2. And you have watched it play out, unusually, in front of your eyes.
3. Because when ever does a defendant have a film to prove their innocence? Hardly ever.” Giving evidence in court, Mendy said that being in prison while on remand had made him “learn lots of things about life”.

He said he reflected on his behaviour while sitting in his cell, and realised only then that it was possible to “hurt” women’s feelings even “if we were both OK to have sex”. The way he had sometimes spoken about women was “disrespectful”, he said he had realised.

In a statement, Manchester City said it “notes the verdict” in the trial but said it would not comment further given the second trial. DCI Kate Tomlinson, of Cheshire constabulary, said the force would continue to support the witnesses in the case. She added: “We are committed to investigating all allegations of rape and sexual assault – no matter how long ago they took place.

If you are a victim of this type of crime, please don’t suffer in silence. Come forward and we will listen to you, we will take action and we will provide you with the support that you need.” : Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy cleared of six rape charges

What soccer player is in jail right now?

Dani Alves still in jail over sexual assault accusation as Spanish court denies bail Dani Alves will remain in jail after a Spanish court denied his request to be freed on bail on Tuesday while a sexual assault accusation against the former player is investigated.

The court had already denied a similar request by Alves’ defence team in February, saying he was a flight risk. The international was provisionally detained in January after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a nightclub on 30 December. He has denied wrongdoing and said sex with the accuser was consensual.

A judge ordered him to be jailed without bail after analysing the initial probe by authorities and hearing testimony from Alves, the alleged victim and witnesses. A trial date has not been set. Alves’ lawyers had filed a 200-page report and videos from security cameras that they said discredited testimony by the alleged victim and other witnesses.

1. The lawyers also reiterated that Alves would accept any court-imposed measures, such as turning in his passports and wearing a tracking device, if freed on bail.
2. Under Spain’s sexual consent law passed last year, sexual assault takes in a wide array of crimes from online abuse and groping to rape, each with different possible punishments.

A case of rape can receive a maximum sentence of 15 years. Alves turned 40 on Saturday. He has won 42 career trophies, including three Champions Leagues with Barcelona and two Copa Américas with Brazil. He played in his third World Cup last year in Qatar.

Who is soccer player arrested in Dublin?

Driving licence –

1. He has four counts of dangerous driving in a manner, including speed, at Walkinstown Avenue Walkinstown/Long Mile Road junction Dublin 12, Kennelsfort Road Upper Ballyfermot Dublin 20, Ballyfermot Road Ballyfermot Dublin 10, and Walkinstown Avenue.
2. He was also accused of not having a driving licence or motor insurance at Knockmaroon Road, Castleknock, Dublin 15 on the same date and failing to produce them at a garda station within 10 days.
3. Garda Radoslaw Konczewski told the court that Mr Stokes “made no reply” to the additional charges.
4. He had no objection to bail but asked the court to impose conditions to provide an address and his phone number.
5. The accused, who stood throughout the brief hearing, remained silent and is yet to indicate a plea.
6. His solicitor Lorraine Stephens objected to the garda’s request for conditions, adding that her client had already been given station bail on the more serious charges.
7. The garda replied: “There is a possibility of further charges”.

Judge Finan asked him if there had been difficulties so far in finding Mr Stokes, and the officer answered, “No”. He added, however, that finding him required contacting his solicitor. : Footballer Anthony Stokes remanded on bail on drugs and dangerous driving charges

What is the truth about Mason Greenwood

Rob Dawson, Correspondent Aug 23, 2023, 08:53 PM

Manchester United ‘s investigation into the circumstances around Mason Greenwood ‘s arrest, on suspicion of attempted rape and assault in January 2022, boiled down to one key question: did the club have grounds to terminate his contract? After a six-month internal review process and some public backlash, the answer they settled on was “no.” That prompted a second question: should Greenwood be allowed to resume his playing career at Old Trafford? The answer to that, the club announced on Monday after a week of tangible concern regarding his possible return, was another “no” – but only after it considered his reintegration back into the squad right up until the last minute.

As a result, the 21-year-old forward, who had been suspended from training and matches for 18 months, is now set to leave United either permanently or on loan. If an agreement isn’t reached with another club before the transfer window closes on Sept.1 – sources confirmed Tuesday that there is interest in signing Greenwood – United will look to arrange a mutual termination of his contract, which expires in 2025.

United believe Greenwood to be innocent of attempted rape, engaging in controlling behaviour and assault – crimes he was charged with in October 2022, before the case collapsed four months later – but there is no expectation he will ever play for the club again.

Has Mason Greenwood been sold?

Mason Greenwood leaves Man United to join Getafe on loan – ESPN play Why Marcotti doesn’t like Mason Greenwood’s fit with Getafe (1:26) Gab Marcotti reacts to Mason Greenwood playing for Getafe on a loan. (1:26)

Mason Greenwood has joined on loan from, the clubs have confirmed.Greenwood will spend the season with the LaLiga side after following a six-month investigation into his conduct. A criminal case against the 21-year-old following his arrest on suspicion of attempted rape and assault –

Sources have told ESPN that the agreement with Getafe does not include a loan fee. According to sources, the Spanish side are making a “small contribution” towards his wages but United will continue to pay the majority of his salary. Greenwood has a contract at Old Trafford until 2025 but is not expected to play for the club again. PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images A issued on Friday read: “Mason Greenwood has signed for La Liga side Getafe CF on a season-long loan, subject to international clearance. “The move enables Greenwood to begin to rebuild his career away from Manchester United.

1. The club will continue to offer its support to Mason and his family during this period of transition.” Greenwood scored 35 goals in 129 appearances for United after making his debut as a teenager in 2019.
2. He has not played a competitive game since January 2022 and has been training alone in his preparation for his return to football.

: Mason Greenwood leaves Man United to join Getafe on loan – ESPN

Which Manchester United footballer is jailed

Rape charge against Man United player Greenwood dropped Published On 2 Feb 2023 2 Feb 2023 Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood will no longer face charges of attempted rape and assault. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Thursday that the charges, which also included controlling and coercive behaviour, were discontinued.

list of 4 items list 1 of 4 list 2 of 4 list 3 of 4 list 4 of 4 end of list Greenwood was formally charged in October after an investigation that began in January 2022. “In this case, a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction,” the CPS said in a statement.

“In these circumstances, we are under a duty to stop the case.” Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 after images and videos were shared on social media. The 21-year-old was and not permitted to train with the team. The club has yet to comment on the decision by the CPS.

The Greater Manchester Police said it understood the reasoning for the discontinued proceedings but confirmed its “commitment to investigating allegations of violence against women and girls”.”The investigation team has remained in regular contact with the legal team, providing any updates of note, and so understand the rationale for the discontinuation of proceedings at this stage, and that this decision has not been taken lightly,” Chief Superintendent Michaela Kerr said.The Bradford-born player came through the United academy and made his senior debut for the Red Devils in a Champions League victory away against Paris St Germain in March 2019.

Source: News Agencies : Rape charge against Man United player Greenwood dropped

Which Manchester City player was charged with assault?

Footballer Benjamin Mendy cleared of rape and attempted rape

• The former Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has asked for privacy to “rebuild his life” after being found not guilty of raping one woman and attempting to rape another.
• The former French international wept as a jury cleared him after a retrial at Chester crown court.
• The acquittals mean the 28-year-old defender has now been found not guilty of all of the allegations made against him by six women, which destroyed his football career.

He has cleared his name but is unemployed after his Manchester City contract expired at the end of June. The Premier League club stopped paying him in September 2021, shortly after he was charged, though the manager, Pep Guardiola, was a, where he described Mendy as a “really good boy”.

The women had accused him of assaulting them at his £4.8m gated mansion between October 2018 and August 2021, often at illegal parties held during Covid lockdowns. He was cleared in January of raping four women and sexually assaulting another, with the jury unable to reach verdicts on two outstanding charges, prompting the retrial.

He was acquitted on Friday of trying to rape a woman who came to his house with a friend of his, another French footballer, Diacko Fofana. She said Mendy tried to rape her when she got out of the shower, but he said they flirted and that he withdrew as soon as she said no.

1. He was also cleared of raping a woman he had met at a bar in Alderley Edge, an upmarket Cheshire suburb.
2. During his first four-month trial at Chester crown court, Mendy maintained that the women had wanted to have sex with him.
3. He told the jury it was “normal” for him to sleep with lots of different women, sometimes on the same night as they had had sex with his friends.

Being a famous footballer made it “honestly, so easy” to pick up women at nightclubs and take them to his home near the Cheshire village of Prestbury, he said. Some of the women said they were made to give in their phones after arriving at the house and felt unable to call for help.

But Mendy said he only asked guests to put their phones in a box because he was concerned about privacy, particularly when holding lockdown-busting parties, and that the women could have their phones back whenever they wanted. The parties were fuelled by alcohol and nitrous oxide balloons and often involved guests stripping down in Mendy’s pool.

People would have sex in rooms all over the house, sometimes swapping partners. Mendy admitted not wearing a condom during any of the encounters, saying that while he knew the risks he “didn’t worry” about catching or passing on sexually transmitted diseases.

1. He has one child with a former partner, the court heard, but was determined to avoid getting into a relationship while playing for City.
2. Mendy was first arrested in November 2020 after a young woman accused him of raping her a few weeks earlier after she met him in a bar in Alderley Edge, alongside the England player Jesse Lingard.
3. Mendy was released under investigation and then arrested again on 4 January 2021 after a second woman reported him to the police, accusing him of sexually assaulting her at a party at his home on 2 January 2021.

He was bailed on the condition that he did not hold parties at his home and continued to play for Manchester City. Yet the court heard that he continued to invite women back to his mansion after nights out in Manchester. Asked why he ignored his bail conditions, Mendy said it was because he did not think he had done anything wrong.

• It was during one such afterparty, on 23 August 2021, that the 17-year-old accused him of rape.
• She went to the police shortly afterwards and Mendy was charged on 26 August and remanded to prison.
• It was only then that he was suspended and put on unpaid leave by Manchester City.
• Until then, the club had paid his wages, estimated at £90,000 a week.

Mendy from Monaco for £52m in 2017, a world-record fee for a defender at the time. Giving evidence at Chester crown court, Mendy said that being in prison while on remand had made him “learn lots of things about life”. He said that he reflected on his behaviour while sitting in his cell, and realised only then that it was possible to hurt women’s feelings even “if we were both OK to have sex”.

The way he had sometimes spoken about women was “disrespectful”, he realised. Talking in strongly accented English, Mendy said he began to receive attention from women when he was 18 and playing for Marseille, which became “10 times more” intense when he joined Manchester City. He acknowledged that women were attracted to him because of his job.

“The way they came to me, it’s not because of my look, it’s because of football,” he said. After his acquittal on Friday, Mendy’s lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, said: “Benjamin Mendy would like to thank the members of the jury for focusing on the evidence in this trial, rather than on the rumour and innuendo that have followed this case from the outset.

• This is the second time that Mr Mendy has been tried and found not guilty by a jury.
• He is delighted that both juries reached the correct verdicts.
• It has been almost three years since the police started investigating this matter.
• Mr Mendy has tried to remain strong but the process has, inevitably, had a serious impact on him.

He thanks everyone who has supported him throughout this ordeal and now asks for privacy so he can begin rebuilding his life.” : Footballer Benjamin Mendy cleared of rape and attempted rape

Who is the rugby player arrested?

Australian rugby player Kurtley Beale suspended following arrest over sexual assault allegations

Rugby Australia and NSW Waratahs have suspended after he was arrested and charged over sexual assault allegations on Friday in Kingsford, Australia, the union announced in a statement. CNN has not been able to reach Beale or his representative for comment. Beale was arrested in connection with an incident where a 28-year-old woman was allegedly sexually assaulted at a licensed premise on Beach Road, Bondi Beach, on December 17, 2022. In a statement, New South Wales Police did not name Beale but confirmed they arrested a 33-year-old man on Friday afternoon over the allegation and have charged him with two counts of sexually touching another person without consent, inciting another to sexually touch them without consent and sexual intercourse without consent. The person was refused bail and is set to appear before Parramatta Bail Court on January 21, according to the statement. “Rugby Australia and the NSW Waratahs advise that Kurtley Beale has been suspended from all forms of Rugby with immediate effect pending the conclusion of legal proceedings, as well as Rugby Australia’s own investigations,” Rugby Australia and NSW Waratahs said in matching statements. “This step follows Mr Beale’s arrest and subsequent charge with serious criminal offences, and is in line with Rugby Australia’s Professional Player Code of Conduct,” they added. Beale, who made his Wallabies debut in 2009, was recently named in the Wallabies training squad for this year’s World Cup. He made his professional debut in 2007 and has spent most of his playing career at NSW Waratahs. He recently returned to the club for a third stint in the 2023 Super Rugby season after playing at French club Racing 92.

: Australian rugby player Kurtley Beale suspended following arrest over sexual assault allegations

Which Manchester player was accused of assault

Manchester United winger Antony is back in Brazil after assault allegations He is facing police investigations in Brazil and the UK but denies any wrongdoing United and Antony mutually agreed an indefinite leave of absence from the club

Published: 16:12 BST, 13 September 2023 | Updated: 17:14 BST, 13 September 2023 Manchester United have included Antony in their latest 25-man Premier League squad but the forward remains on an indefinite leave of absence from the club after assault allegations were made by three separate women.

Antony, who has denied any wrongdoing, is facing claims of domestic abuse, with police investigations opened in Brazil and the UK. He has not been arrested or charged and has promised to ‘come up with the evidence’ to prove the truth. The winger was recently spotted near Sao Paulo, having flown to his homeland before being told he had been dropped for this month’s international fixtures.

He is expected to stay in the country as he looks to defend himself against the claims. DJ and influencer Gabriela Cavallin has alleged the footballer, who joined United for £85million last summer, assaulted her four times, while bank worker Ingrid Lana claimed she was pushed up against a wall in Manchester last September.

1. Both women have given TV interviews over the past week and alleged they were assaulted.
2. The third accuser was named in Brazil as Rayssa de Freitas, meanwhile.
3. Manchester United have named winger Antony in their latest 25-man Premier League squad DJ and influencer Gabriela Cavallin has made several allegations against the United forward Ingrid Lana (left) has also accused Antony of assault, though the player denies any wrongdoing Lana, 33, claimed she had been pushed up against a wall after travelling to Manchester to meet Antony for business and went on to dramatically allege on social media earlier this week that she could have died in the reported incident.

Following the latest allegation, Antony sought to clarify what happened during their encounter by publishing texts he claims they had shared, including one where the person messaging him told him, ‘if you want I’ll wait in bed naked’. Posting the conversation on Instagram, he labelled his accuser ‘a fraudster’.

Lana hit back, however, labelling Antony a liar and claiming he had fabricated the messages. Antony, who delivered a TV interview of his own and has launched a staunch defence of himself, has insisted: ‘I know the truth and it will come out.’ On the subject of domestic violence, he said: ‘It’s totally wrong, 100 per cent wrong.

I have a mother, a sister, and I would never want this to happen to them. ‘I’m 100 per cent sure I’ve never touched a woman, and I’ll come up with the evidence. People will see the truth. I have never assaulted and I will never assault. ‘I’m sure I’ve never committed physical violence.’ United confirmed in a statement that they were aware of the allegations against Antony and that it had been mutually agreed he would delay his return to the club.

Antony has been spotted relaxing at a pool in Sao Paulo as he delays his return to United Antony posted four screengrabs of a conversation – supposedly with Lana – on Instagram He is facing police investigations in Brazil and the UK but has not been arrested or charged ‘Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony,’ they said.

‘Players who have not participated in international matches are due back in training on Monday. However, it has been agreed with Antony that he will delay his return until further notice in order to address the allegations. ‘As a club we condemn acts of violence and abuse.

We recognise the importance of safeguarding all those involved in this situation, and acknowledge the impact these allegations have on survivors of abuse.’ Antony has not been suspended and remains on full pay, with the decision on his leave reached after conversations between CEO Richard Arnold and Erik ten Hag.

A statement from the player read: ‘I have agreed with Manchester United to take a period of absence while I address the allegations made against me. ‘This was a mutual decision to avoid distraction to my team-mates and unnecessary controversy for the club.