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Man Utd back Maguire as defender appeals Greece assault conviction
The player was found guilty on several charges, but he has contested the verdict and maintains his innocence
Manchester United have once again backed Harry Maguire after the defender's appeal against an assault conviction was accepted by Greek courts.
Maguire was found guilty on Tuesday of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and repeated attempts of bribery, charges related to an alleged incident that occurred while he was on holiday in Mykonos.
The player, who was not present at the trial in Syros, received a 21-month suspended prison sentence but immediately stated his intention to appeal while maintaining his innocence.
United have expressed their support of the 27-year-old, pointing out that his appeal means that Maguire retains the presumption of innocence until the second hearing can be carried out.
"An appeal against yesterday’s verdict was lodged this morning by Harry’s legal team. In accordance with the Greek judicial process, the filing of an appeal extinguishes the initial court verdict and nullifies the conviction," the club explained in a statement released on Wednesday.
"The appeal has been accepted and will lead to a full retrial in a more senior court. This means that Harry has no criminal record and is once again presumed innocent until proven guilty.
"Accordingly, he is not subject to any international travel restrictions."
In his own statement, Maguire maintained he had not committed any wrongdoing while he waits for the result of the appeal.
“Following the hearing today, I have instructed my legal team with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing," he stated.
“I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter - if anything myself, family and friends are the victims.”
"In light of this evening’s developments, I can confirm I have withdrawn Harry Maguire from the England squad for the matches against Iceland and Denmark," Southgate said in a statement, having originally included the ex-Leicester City star in his plans.
"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."
