Former player and captain of AS Monaco, Wissam Ben Yedder, was sentenced to two years in prison. He is being prosecuted for drunken sexual assault on a 23-year-old woman. Without a club since this summer, his sporting future seems uncertain. The point with a specialist journalist.
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Second top scorer in the history of AS Monaco Wissam Ben Yedder seemed to have a bright sporting future ahead of him. But the former captain of the Monegasque team is accumulating legal files. He was sentenced on November 12 in Nice to two years in prison with suspended probation for sexual assault of a young woman last September in Cap d’Ail.
The athlete also has an obligation to follow-up care, his license is suspended for 6 months, and he receives a fine of 5,000 for refusing to comply. He will have to compensate the victim to the tune of 5,000 euros for moral damage and 1,500 euros in legal fees. A decision that the civil party welcomes. “My client is relieved, she wanted justice to recognize the guilt of Wissam Ben Yedder, whatever the sentence handed down.“, says Maître Franck Michel, lawyer of the victim, at the microphone of Nathalie Layani, journalist at France 3 Côte d’Azur.
The player has been without a club since his contract ended this summer. His legal setbacks raise questions about his professional future. His behavior could compromise negotiations with other clubs.
“It’s complicated to associate your club image with a condemned player, we had a relatively recent example from Marseille, where Messon Greenwood was signed. He was not convicted but he had a big, high-profile case that seriously damaged his image and his career. Today, Wissam Ben Yedder was sentenced, we will see if an appeal will be made, but it is a real setback for him if only in terms of his image. It’s complicated for clubs and we know that in sport and football clubs, image is very important.“, explains Maxime Tilliette, RMC Sport correspondent in the Alpes-Maritimes, at the microphone of Nathalie Layani, journalist France 3 Côte d’Azur.
There remains the option of calling. The player has a legal deadline to appeal the court’s decision and hope to obtain a lighter sentence. A strategy that can allow him to save several months on his physical preparation. Strategy which could prove dangerous if the court of appeal is more severe. Note that the prosecution had requested a heavier sentence than that adopted during the deliberations.
“It’s a hope why not gain a little time, and why not complete physical preparation, and be able to sign a contract. I imagine, it’s the player’s wish, afterward, we’ll see, the call hasn’t been made yet“, adds Maxime Tilliette.
The player must still face justice soon for other cases. He must be tried on December 27 for psychological violence against his wife, specifies AFP.
The athlete is also under investigation, alongside his brother, for a case of rape, during an evening in 2023. The case is currently being investigated.
In 2023, he was also sentenced by the court of Seville (southern Spain) to six months suspended prison sentence and a fine of 133,798.70 euros for tax fraud.
