American Marconi Wireless News - Mbappe to keep any explanations for Swedish justice, 'if necessary' - lawyer

"He retains primacy of his explanations, if necessary, to the Swedish justice system," Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard told AFP.

The lawyer strongly denounced "media allegations suggesting that Kylian Mbappe spoke about the events of his trip to Stockholm".

French daily Le Parisien and RMC Sports both reported on Thursday the France and Real Madrid striker had consensual sex with a young woman during the trip last week.

Mbappe, the two news outlets reported, has messages from the woman "with a very positive tone", telling the tale of a happy meeting and consensual relations.

Le Parisien added it could not confirm the complainant in the rape case was the woman who wrote those messages.

As discomfort in his left thigh kept him out of France's squad for Nations League games, Mbappe chose to go to Stockholm with a group of friends, arriving on October 9 and departing on October 11.

Reports in several Swedish media say they visited a restaurant and a nightclub. Once the group had left Sweden, a woman went to police to allege she was the victim of a rape.

On Monday, after Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet became the first media outlet to reveal that a rape probe had been opened, Mbappe slammed the report as "fake news" on his social media and alleged there was a link between the accusations and his financial dispute with his former club Paris Saint-Germain. A hearing into the case was held on Tuesday.

"It's becoming so predictable, the day before the hearing as if by chance," Mbappe said on X, formerly Twitter.

A Swedish prosecutor has only confirmed that an investigation has been opened, without naming Mbappe.

Lawyer Canu-Bernard told AFP on Tuesday that the 2018 World Cup winner was "at ease" because "he has done nothing wrong".

F.Pedersen--AMWN