Tuesday morning saw Real Betis ace, William Carvalho, at court to answer charges of alleged sexual assault.
The 31-year-old Portuguese had been interesting Turkish Super Lig side, Besiktas, and with the window still open in Turkey, there was the possibility of a potential late window move.
However, much will now depend on what happens in Seville’s Court No.9.
According to OK Diario (h/t Relevo), the alleged victim to Carvalho’s assaults claims she was drugged and raped by the player last August in a Seville hotel.
It’s also reported that she had clear signs of violence on her body, without remembering what happened, though she apparently does recall Carvalho being in her bed.
As with any case of this nature it is important to establish the facts quickly and accurately, and remember that anyone stood accused of such heinous acts is still innocent until proven guilty.
The associated bad publicity that Betis will receive as a result of this case may well see the club, regretfully, move him on quicker than they might have expected, though it’s entirely possible he would be remanded in custody if the court felt that there was sufficient evidence at this stage of proceedings to move forward with a charge.
For Carvalho himself, any potential guilty verdict could signal the end of his career at the highest level in any event.