The Glaring Fall of Wissam Ben Yedder: From Football Fields to Courtrooms
Ah, Wissam Ben Yedder—the man who once danced across the football pitch like a gazelle at dusk and is now attempting the cha-cha with the judicial system. The former AS Monaco star is now more familiar with the Nice courts than he is with putting the ball in the back of the net. What a time to be a footballer, eh?
From Hero to Zero: The Legal Saga
Let’s set the scene: It’s October 16, 2024, and our boy Ben Yedder is strutting into court, likely thinking he’s about to present his case like it’s a football match. But this time, he’s not up against defenders. No, this time, he’s on the receiving end of charges for “attempted rape and sexual assault under the influence of alcohol.” Sounds like a terrible storyline for a new reality show, doesn’t it?
The events in question are as troubling as they are around the bush. After a night of heavy drinking—which should’ve clearly been a sign to call it a day—Wissam decided to mix his cocktails with car keys, and the notorious combination of bad decisions followed. Allegedly, during one of his nightly escapades, he invited a woman in her twenties into his vehicle, a move that would make even the most seasoned pick-up artist cringe.
Now, to be frank, trying to kiss someone after a few too many is not exactly playing it cool, is it? Smooching is for romantic dates, not for impromptu car rides! Apparently, he was unable to read the room—let alone understand the concept of consent—because he made a series of unfortunate advances, culminating in a bit of self-indulgent exhibitionism that led to a police visit, not the kind of “pulling over” that footballers usually enjoy.
The Fallout: Judgement Day Approaches
The repercussions? Oh, they’re as serious as a last-minute penalty decision. On top of those voluptuous charges, he’s also facing the possibility of a decade behind bars for a cocktail of offenses: “driving under the influence,” “refusal to comply,” and more classic lines that should never be uttered by someone who’s enjoyed a lucrative football career.
If that’s not enough, it comes with a side order of judicial control: no nightclubs, mandatory curfew, and reporting to gendarmerie. It’s like a twisted football training regimen, but I assure you, no silver trophies await you at the end of this training cycle.
More Drama Than a Telenovela
But wait, there’s more! In the ongoing drama of Wissam’s life—because clearly his reality is more exciting than any soap opera—he’s also been accused of psychological violence as part of his divorce proceedings. Talk about trading a yellow card for a red! And to add to this theatrical production, last year he was slapped with a suspended sentence for tax fraud. Clearly, fiscal responsibility isn’t one of his strong skills—unless it involves purchasing fine wines, of course!
The Inevitable Decline
You’d be forgiven for thinking that this would be a moment of reflection for a man approaching the sunset of his career at 34. With 19 caps for the French national team and a history of thrilling goals, it’s a tragic tale that seems to spiral faster than his once nimble feet on the pitch. His unexpected departure from AS Monaco was like a player getting a surprise injury in the dying moments of a match; no one saw it coming, and now here we are, left wondering what went wrong.
So, as Wissam Ben Yedder walks toward his trial, let’s hope he holds onto the final shreds of his dignity—if there are any left—and takes a good hard look at the long road ahead. A cautionary tale for all footballers: don’t let the nightlife lead you into the wrong kind of spotlight!
Stay tuned, folks—because this is one saga that’s bound to keep unfolding like a never-ending series of extra time.
Without a club since this summer, the former AS Monaco player has been in legal trouble for several months.
Published on 15/10/2024 09:34 Updated on 15/10/2024 09:43
Reading time: 3min Wissam Ben Yedder, September 16, 2021. (VALERY HACHE / AFP)
Footballer Wissam Ben Yedder is once again worried by the courts. The former AS Monaco center forward appears on Tuesday October 16 before the Nice court for “drunk sexual assault”events which allegedly occurred on the night of September 6 to 7 at Cap d’Ail, on the Côte d’Azur where he resides. One more legal episode for the French international, already implicated in several cases.
Last May, Wissam Ben Yedder still proudly posed with the AS Monaco jersey for his 200th match with the principality club. Five months later, after fourteen years of a career which even took him to the French team, the former striker continues to struggle with the law.
Tuesday is for “attempted rape and sexual assault under the influence of alcohol” that he finds himself at the bar. Last Friday September 6, during one of these multiple alcoholic evenings which have become his daily life, the 34-year-old met a woman in her twenties, who agreed to get into his car. There, he placed his hand on her thigh, tried to kiss her and masturbated in front of her.
Shocked, she immediately filed a complaint and Ben Yedder, still at the wheel of his car, was arrested with difficulty during the night in Cap d’Ail, a town bordering Monaco. At the end of his police custody, he was summoned before the criminal court for “sexual assault in a state of obvious intoxication”, punishable by 10 years in prison, but also for “refusal to comply and driving under the influence of an alcoholic state.
In the meantime, the player has been subject to strict judicial control: ban on leaving the department or attending nightclubs, obligation to stay at his home from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., to report twice a week to the gendarmerie and to treat your alcohol addiction.
The prosecution had requested placement in pre-trial detention, citing risks of flight, pressure on the victim but also a repeat offense. Indeed, Wissam Ben Yedder was already under judicial supervision at the time of the events, after having paid bail of 900,000 euros: another young woman accuses him of rape during another too drunken evening during the summer of 2023. This file , where he refutes the accusations, is still under investigation.
At the same time, the player must also be tried at the end of December for psychological violence against his wife as part of difficult divorce proceedings initiated since May 2023. In addition, he was sentenced last year by the Seville court to six months suspended prison sentence and more than 130,000 euros fine for tax fraud, and proceedings also pit him against his former agent Meïssa Ndiaye.
At 34, the end of the career of the player with 19 caps and three goals for Blue, looks like a decline, while the latter, who secretly left AS Monaco this summer, no longer has any contract.