Greek courts have found Harry Maguire guilty of attempted bribery, non-serious assault and resisting arrest, handing the Manchester United player a 15-month suspended sentence
Harry Maguire looks on during a Manchester United match at Old Trafford
Harry Maguire can still play for Manchester United(Image: Getty Images)
View 3 Images
Harry Maguire faces a 15-month suspended sentence after being found guilty of attempted bribery, non-serious assault and resisting arrest. A retrial at the fifth attempt took place on Wednesday, approaching six years after his arrest on the Greek island of Mykonos.
The sentence, which had been 21 months, was reduced to 15 months and 20 days. Maguire, 32, has always denied any wrongdoing, and his legal team plans to appeal the verdict after these proceedings on the island of Syros.
Can he play for Man United after the guilty verdict?
Maguire can still play for United because there is no immediate enforcement of a suspended sentence in terms of having to go to prison. The defender is due to be in the squad for their Premier League match against Newcastle United at St James' Park just hours after the hearing, as he has started seven straight games since Michael Carrick was appointed head coach, through the end of this season.
United are yet to comment following Wednesday's verdict. His current contract, which the club extended by an additional year last January, is due to expire this summer.
Harry Maguire of Manchester United
Harry Maguire will appeal the conviction again(Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
View 3 Images
How does conviction affect World Cup travel?
Maguire will have to declare the conviction when applying for a visa. He has to obtain a court record detailing the nature of the offences committed or currently pending, the sections of law contravened (if relevant), and the penalty imposed.
He may also require a waiver of ineligibility to travel to the United States, as convicted individuals can be permanently ineligible to receive a visa. If that is the case, waiver applications can take up to nine months, and the World Cup is less than 100 days away.
Maguire, however, did attend United's pre-season tour in the United States last summer. One has to declare arrests, even if they do not lead to convictions, so he will have had to do so previously.
What exactly is Maguire charged with?
Maguire was found guilty of attempted bribery, non-serious assault and resisting arrest. The severity of those charges have reduced since his initial sentence, which was for attempted bribery, repeated bodily harm and violence against public employees and insult.
He spent two nights in custody at a police station after being apprehended. During that time, Maguire allegedly told officers: "Do you know who I am?"
His incarceration followed an incident involving two Albanian men and his sister, Daisy, while they were waiting for a taxi to take them back to their villa. Maguire claims they injected her with an unknown substance that caused her to lose consciousness.
Has Maguire had to pay a fine or serve any prison time?
As part of Maguire's original sentence, he faced a €1,500 fine, which converted to just over £1,300; however, there is no such penalty in the revised sentence after they reduced its severity. He is also said to have refused several chances over the years to settle the case with a financial offer.
Maguire is not due to serve any time in prison at this stage, as the sentence is suspended, much like the original one from 2020, due to it being a first offence and the charges being misdemeanours, as Greek courts can suspend custodial sentences of up to three years.
Why was the case delayed for six years?
The case is only having another hearing now because of its previous four postponements before the retrial finally took place at a fifth attempt in Syros. The absence of translated court documents into English led to the most recent postponement in October last year, a representative of the police officer involved, Jean-Jacques Paradissis, told Sky Sports News.
He said that "the court translator has not yet translated the documents Maguire's team requested into English". However, Paradissis expressed confidence last autumn that the case would conclude this year before the Statute of Limitations expires in 2028, eight years after his initial arrest.
Maguire attended court in Greece in 2020
Maguire attended court in Greece in 2020(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
View 3 Images
Why was Maguire not in court?
Maguire did not attend the hearing in person because there was no requirement for him to do so. The date also fell on the same day that United play Newcastle at St James' Park in the Premier League.
He was also not present for the original verdict six years ago, again because he did not need to be in attendance. Maguire was United captain at the time and a key member of the England squad under Gareth Southgate, having been selected for Nations League matches against Denmark and Iceland hours before the initial sentencing in the summer of 2020.
Content Image
Content Image