Villarreal coach Marcelino has urged caution over public opinion on Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey, insisting the player remains “mentally prepared” to face Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday despite ongoing legal proceedings.
Partey, who denies all charges, is set to line up against his former Premier League rivals in north London before attending a plea hearing at Southwark Crown Court the following day.
The ex-Arsenal midfielder was charged in July with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, linked to alleged incidents between April 2021 and June 2022 during his time at the Emirates Stadium.
He joined Villarreal on a free transfer in August and has already played in all four of the Spanish club’s La Liga fixtures this season.
The Villarreal boss said: “We’re interpreting things and talking about a player [Partey] who could be totally innocent. We’re playing a game of football where the important thing is football. This [England] is where football was invented, after all.”
Partey remains on conditional bail, requiring him to notify police of international travel and barring contact with complainants.
He is expected to start against Tottenham as the Yellow Submarine open their Champions League campaign before returning to court on Wednesday.
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