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Harry Maguire withdrawn from England squad after guilty verdict in Greece Harry Maguire withdrawn from England squad after guilty verdict in Greece
(about 4 hours later)
Gareth Southgate has withdrawn Harry Maguire from his England squad to face Iceland and Denmark after the defender’s guilty verdict in GreeceGareth Southgate has withdrawn Harry Maguire from his England squad to face Iceland and Denmark after the defender’s guilty verdict in Greece
Harry Maguire has been withdrawn by Gareth Southgate from the England squad to face Iceland and Denmark early next month after being convicted in a Greek court following a high-profile fracas outside a bar in Mykonos last Thursday night.Harry Maguire has been withdrawn by Gareth Southgate from the England squad to face Iceland and Denmark early next month after being convicted in a Greek court following a high-profile fracas outside a bar in Mykonos last Thursday night.
The Manchester United captain was found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery by a three-member misdemeanours court convening on the Greek island of Syros. The Manchester United captain was found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery by a three-member misdemeanours court convened on the Greek island of Syros.
Maguire was arrested and later charged following a violent argument outside a bar in Mykonos which also involved police officers. He had vigorously denied all charges and has said he will appeal. He was given a prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days that was suspended on account of the charges being misdemeanours and the court’s acknowledgement of his clear criminal record. His two co-defendants, who included his footballer brother Joe, were handed 13-month suspended sentences.
Maguire had been named in the squad at 2pm with his trial ongoing. The guilty verdict was delivered at 5.15pm and at just before 8pm Southgate announced he had withdrawn the central defender. Maguire was arrested and later charged following a violent argument outside the bar which also came to involve police officers. He had vigorously denied all charges and has said he will appeal.
Maguire said: “I have instructed my legal team with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing. I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter – if anything myself, family and friends are the victims.”
Maguire had been named in the England squad at 2pm with his trial ongoing. The guilty verdict was then delivered at 5.15pm and at just before 8pm Southgate announced he had withdrawn the central defender.
Southgate said: “In light of this evening’s developments, I can confirm I have withdrawn Harry Maguire from the England squad for the matches against Iceland and Denmark.Southgate said: “In light of this evening’s developments, I can confirm I have withdrawn Harry Maguire from the England squad for the matches against Iceland and Denmark.
“As I said earlier today, I reserved the right to review the situation. Having spoken to Manchester United and the player, I have made this decision in the best interests of all parties and with consideration of the impact on our preparations for next week.”“As I said earlier today, I reserved the right to review the situation. Having spoken to Manchester United and the player, I have made this decision in the best interests of all parties and with consideration of the impact on our preparations for next week.”
Southgate’s 24-man squad also features first call-ups for Manchester City’s Phil Foden, Maguire’s United teammate Mason Greenwood and the Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips. Maguire’s trial was dramatic and it began with a police prosecution witness alleging that he had said: “Do you know who I am? I am very rich, I can give you money,” as he allegedly pleaded to be set free after being taken to Mykonos’s police station in the wake of the brawl.
Before the verdict, Southgate said of Maguire: “It is clearly a decision that is not straightforward and a decision that in the end I could only take on the information I have. I have spoken with Harry, I have the insight to the story which is very different to what is being reported. You can only make decisions on facts you are aware of. An on-duty officer who had arrived at the scene to break up the fight described how he was pushed so hard by Maguire as he tried to detain him that he fell on his back and later had to be injected with painkillers.
“If facts or information changes I will have to review that decision, but I have a fantastic relationship with the boy, he has been a fantastic character for us … it’s important that he knows he has my support at this moment. Maguire was out for dinner with his fiancée, Fern Hawkins, and three other couples and they had hired a minibus to take them back to their accommodation. Maguire’s story is that his sister, Daisy, was then approached by two men, one of whom injected her with something, causing her to faint.
“I’m not going to get into hypotheticals of what might happen, but I have got to reserve the right to review if further information becomes available. You always make decisions to the best of your ability given the information you have. People may agree or disagree with those decisions, but it is a position where every manger finds himself. Maguire and his brother tried to get their sister to the safety of the minibus and a fight ensued between their group and the two men, which undercover policemen moved to break up.
“Harry regrets the fact he has brought that sort of focus and attention to the team - he apologised for that – but also has his own side of the story.” The minibus drove Maguire’s party away not to their accommodation but the police station – on the orders of the officers on the scene. When they arrived, they were greeted by non-uniformed officers, some of whom allegedly kicked Maguire’s legs and told him that his football career was over. Maguire’s lawyer, Alexis Anagnostakis, said that his clients had acted in self-defence and did not realise that the non-uniformed men were police officers.
Southgate has called up City’s Raheem Sterling, who attended Usain Bolt’s birthday party in Jamaica last Friday. Bolt has subsequently announced that he is self-isolating after taking a Covid-19 test. Anagnostakis had tried to postpone the trial arguing he had formally received the case file only at 5pm on Monday Greek time and elements of evidence not until early on Tuesday morning. Maguire’s legal team have complained about a lack of due process and how some of their evidence was not permitted – including key forensic details such as the injuries sustained by Maguire and his sister. They believe that the verdict was rushed and remain hopeful of it being overturned.
There are recalls for Kyle Walker, Eric Dier, Michael Keane, James Ward-Prowse and Danny Ings but no place for any specialist left-back, with Danny Rose overlooked and Ben Chilwell and Luke Shaw injured. “Danny Rose, we felt at this moment in time his performances need to be a little bit better,” Southgate said. Before the verdict, Southgate had said: “The decision [to call up Maguire] is clearly not straightforward and one that in the end I could only take on the information I have. I have spoken with Harry, I have the insight to the story which is very different to what is being reported. You can only make decisions on facts you are aware of. If facts or information changes I will have to review that decision.”
Addressing the first-time call-ups the manager said: “We are a year away from a European Championship and let’s see if they can start to break into that team, that squad. It gives us great competition for places.” Southgate’s squad features first call-ups for Manchester City’s Phil Foden, Maguire’s United teammate Mason Greenwood and the Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips. He has also called up City’s Raheem Sterling, who attended Usain Bolt’s birthday party in Jamaica last Friday. Bolt has subsequently announced that he is self-isolating after taking a Covid-19 test.
A clutch of other players have been overlooked, including John Stones, Fikayo Tomori, James Maddison, Jack Grealish, Jesse Lingard, Dele Alli and Callum Hudson-Odoi. The absent Ross Barkley is injured. There are recalls for Kyle Walker, Eric Dier, Michael Keane, James Ward-Prowse and Danny Ings while a clutch of players have been overlooked including John Stones, Fikayo Tomori, Jack Grealish, Jesse Lingard, Dele Alli and Callum Hudson-Odoi. Southgate said that Ross Barkley and James Maddison were among those out with injuries.