According to initial information, the referee was accused of approaching a teenager in the public area of the hotel where he stayed. This person was accused of having unwanted contacts and trying to lure the victim to his private room before the match took place.
Sources said that the incident was reported to the authorities while the referee left the hotel to conduct the match. When returning to the hotel with the UEFA delegation, this person was waiting for police and arrested on the spot.
Police then took the suspect to interrogate before granting bail during further investigation. A Metropolitan Police representative confirmed that a man in his 30s had been arrested in connection with allegations of sexual assault against a teenager, and is currently on bail for investigation.
The source also said that if prosecuted, this person may be extradited back to the UK to serve the trial process according to legal regulations.
Notably, the above-mentioned referee is on the list of hundreds of referees considered for duty at the FIFA World Cup 2026. However, FIFA said it will not consider using this referee in any tournament while the investigation is still ongoing.
On UEFA's side, this organization affirmed that it is closely monitoring the incident and will not assign the above-mentioned referee to officiate matches belonging to its league system for the time being.
