Earlier this month, Arsenal fans put the spotlight on their club, and the footballing world alike. The Arsenal Supporters Against Sexual Violence group wrote a letter regarding ‘the widespread issue of tolerating footballers facing sexual offence allegations within the game we love.’
The letter was released following the news that a Premier League player was under investigation for multiple sexual assault cases just this month.
The player in question is a man in his 30s, who is under investigation for the alleged rape of two women and a sexual offence relating to a third woman.
The offender was first arrested in July 2022, at an address in North London on suspicion of rape. This month, he attended a station and was interviewed under caution.
He was again arrested in June 2022 on another suspicion of rape. While still in custody he was further arrested on suspicion of two incidents of rape in April and June 2021.
For the incident that occurred in June 2021, no further action has been taken. This is because the relevant legislation had not yet come into effect at the time the incident was alleged to have occurred.
The player was again arrested in February 2023 on suspicion of a sexual offence that took place in North London in February 2022.
Despite the multiple cases, the Premier League player has still continued to play for his club since the first arrest.
Not the first of its kind
This is not the first time in football that there have been cases surrounding football players and sexual offences.
Just last year, a BBC investigation found that seven players and managers belonging to Premier League clubs had been investigated by the police for sexual offences since 2020.
One notable example is that of former Manchester United player Mason Greenwood. He was found not guilty of one count of rape and one of attempted rape following a retrial, having been cleared of six counts of rape and one of sexual assault in January 2023.
When the evidence against the forward was publicly released, he was a United player. Greenwood did not play for the club after he was arrested in January 2022.
In February 2023, the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service discontinued the case against him for attempted rape, assault, and coercive control. It was said that “a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction”.
Greenwood denied all the allegations against him.
Following his win in court, whether he would return to Manchester United was a question left hanging in the air.
The club conducted their own investigation. Whilst they felt they had no grounds to terminate Greenwood’s contract, they decided that he would not immediately return to Old Trafford.
They instead loaned him to La Liga club Getafe, with his future at Manchester United still undecided, as the club did consider his return. However, the Premier League club eventually sold Greenwood to Marseille permanently this summer.
Similar cases include a former Manchester City player, as well as a current Tottenham player.
Benjamin Mendy, former Manchester City player was found not guilty of one count of rape and one of attempted rape following a retrial. He was cleared of six counts of rape and one of sexual assault in January 2023.
In October 2021, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma was arrested under suspicion of sexual assault in Brighton. In June 2022, he was cleared of an allegation of sexual assault.
Victims’ perspectives
The reality is that these players, whether guilty or not, represent their clubs, their leagues, and the sport itself. Permitting them to play under such circumstances tarnishes the integrity of football and disregards the experiences of survivors.
The ongoing presence of accused players on the pitch sends a harmful message to victims of sexual violence. For survivors, watching these individuals continue to represent their clubs and receive unwavering support from fans can be traumatizing and disheartening.
It reinforces the perception that their experiences and pain are secondary to a player’s ability to perform on the field. Talent over morality – a cushion for footballers and footballing staff who have victimised others.
This not only undermines trust in the system but also makes it look like certain individuals are untouchable. And even more worryingly, it normalizes dismissive attitudes toward sexual violence, slowing progress in wider societal efforts to combat abuse.
This leads to a lack of trust in the system, fuels the belief that some are untouchable, and normalizes dismissive attitudes toward sexual violence, holding back progress in tackling abuse.
This culture can have a chilling effect, discouraging other victims from coming forward. This silence allows the cycle of abuse to continue and allows clubs and leagues to avoid accountability for addressing the issue head-on.
Statistics on sexual assault in sports
Sexual violence in sports is not confined to football. A 2020 report from the UK-based organization Sport England found that over 14% of women involved in sports have experienced sexual harassment or abuse, with football being one of the most frequently cited sports.
Globally, research by the Athlete Rights Organization revealed that 10-20% of athletes in major sports report experiencing some form of sexual misconduct during their careers.
These statistics likely underrepresents the true scope of the issue, as many incidents go unreported due to fear of retaliation or scepticism from authorities.
Sexism knows no league
These failings aren’t isolated to the men’s game. Women’s football, despite its growing popularity and triumphs on the global stage, has also been tainted by systemic issues.
In women’s football, systemic sexism and power imbalances are heavily prevalent. A stark example is what happened to Barcelona and Spanish forward Jenni Hermoso after her team’s historic win at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
During the medal ceremony, Luis Rubiales, then president of the Spanish Football Federation, kissed Hermoso on the lips without her consent. What should have been a moment of celebration for Hermoso and her teammates quickly turned into an international scandal. Hermoso later confirmed the kiss was not consensual, contradicting Rubiales’ public claims.
Rather than immediately acknowledging the inappropriateness of his actions, Rubiales doubled down, calling the backlash a “social assassination.” His defiance highlighted a deeply rooted culture in football that often shields those in power from accountability.
Despite global outcry, it took weeks of protests, legal action, and Hermoso’s own courage for Rubiales to resign.
This incident exposed how football organizations often prioritize their reputation over addressing misconduct, even in women’s football, where players are already fighting for equal recognition and respect every single day.
It’s a stark reminder that dismissive attitudes toward abuse don’t just harm individual players. They undermine the integrity of the entire sport.
Hermoso’s experience highlights the deeply ingrained culture of exemption from consequences and victim-blaming that persists in football, even within the women’s game.
Following the high-profile incident involving the unsolicited kiss by former RFEF president Luis Rubiales, Jenni Hermoso, Spain’s all-time top scorer and a key figure in the team’s success, has been excluded from the national squad.
This exclusion comes despite her prominent role in the documentary It’s All Over: The Kiss That Changed Spanish Football, where she highlighted the scandal and criticized the Spanish Football Federation.
Alongside Irene Paredes, Hermoso was notably left out of the squad announced by new head coach Montse Tomé, raising further questions about the impact of speaking out against systemic issues in football.
Tomé has stated that the decision is purely tactical. However, many have speculated that the decision was linked to their participation in the documentary.
Hermoso’s exclusion, particularly after her fight for gender equality, shows how speaking out about systemic issues can negatively impact players’ careers in women’s football.
However, the unnamed player at the start of the article is still playing. Mason Greenwood was named Player of the Year at Getafe and is now playing for French team Marseille, and Yves Bissouma remains a starter at Spurs.
This addresses the stark contrast between how male and female players are treated when involved in similar scandals, emphasizing the double standards in football.
Similarly, the death of Sheffield United Women’s player Maddy Cusack, in 2023, serves as a painful reminder of the lack of protection for female players.
Cusack tragically took her own life after allegedly enduring harsh environments under her then-manager, Jonathan Morgan. Morgan, who was later sacked, was also accused of grooming a 17-year-old girl he had been coaching.
These tragic stories are just a few of the many examples in a growing list of incidents in which women in football are subjected to harassment, abuse, and neglect, often with little to no justice.
And knows no sport
In early 2024, Formula 1 team principal Christian Horner was accused of sexual harassment by a now-former Red Bull employee.
The allegations followed claims that Horner had made inappropriate comments and advances toward the woman during their time working together. The matter was reportedly settled privately, with Horner denying all claims.
The response from Horner’s team and F1’s governing body – the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) – remains scrutinized, as many argue that the incident reflects broader issues of gender inequality in the sports industry, where harassment claims are often minimized or handled behind closed doors to protect reputations over justice.
And whilst the accuser was suspended by the Red Bull Racing F1 team, Horner has since remained team principal of the Austrian team.
This case highlights that harassment is not exclusive to football, and that abuse in sports can happen across various disciplines.
In 2021, the Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai accused former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. After her allegations were made public, she disappeared from the public eye, prompting widespread concern and support from figures like Naomi Osaka and Billie Jean King.
Peng has since only shown up in controlled environments, such as state media, by e-mail, or for interviews, and has denied making accusations of sexual assault. The Women’s Tennis Association suspended tournaments in China in response to her ordeal but returned to the nation in 2023.
One of the most high-profile cases in sports involved Dr. Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics team doctor, who was convicted of sexually abusing over 265 athletes, many of whom were minors. His actions led to a major reckoning in the sports world about the safeguarding of athletes, especially young women.
Sexual violence in football demands unique attention
While the instances of sexual assault and misconduct across various sports are alarming, the football world’s response to these issues – particularly in its male-dominated leagues – requires a closer look.
In contrast to the swift actions taken in response to non-violent breaches, sexual violence remains an area where football seems hesitant to act with the same urgency.
The fact that players in men’s football continue to play amidst ongoing allegations of sexual assault not only sets a worrying example but also shows how such actions can be brushed aside in sports impacting the sport’s image.
Football is arguably the biggest sport in the world. It is a global phenomenon.
This makes it an important platform for addressing these systemic issues. Yet, as we’ve seen in the cases mentioned above, and even those not mentioned, football continues to grapple with an unsettling double standard.
The examples from other sports, like Formula 1 and tennis, highlight that this is not just a football issue.
However, given the massive influence football holds globally, it’s crucial for the sport to lead the way in creating a culture of accountability, especially in light of the examples where other sports have failed to protect their own athletes from harmful environments.
As we transition back to football, the moral imperative for the sport to address these issues head-on becomes even clearer.
The moral imperative: Why allegations demand action
Football’s culture of giving the benefit of the doubt to players accused of sexual offences is deeply troubling.
Allegations of this nature are serious and should demand immediate consequences, yet clubs often allow accused players to continue playing while investigations are ongoing.
This sends a damaging message – not just to fans, but to victims and society as a whole – that football prioritizes performance over morality.
It’s not unusual for clubs to suspend players for far less. Take, for example, instances where athletes have faced disciplinary action for violating betting regulations.
While these offences are often met with swift and decisive action, allegations of sexual assault – a far graver issue – are frequently treated with hesitation or outright dismissal.
This double standard reflects an ingrained culture within football that minimizes the severity of sexual misconduct.
While clubs may argue that “innocent until proven guilty” applies, the reputational and moral implications of allowing accused players to continue on the field cannot be ignored.