Decision expected on Leicester footballers

The future of three Premiership footballers being held in Spain over serious sex assault charges should be known today, one of their lawyers said.

A court in Cartagena was sitting through the lunch hour to try to reach a decision on the Leicester City players as soon as possible.

Paul Dickov, Frank Sinclair and Keith Gillespie have spent six nights in Sangonera Prison near Murcia following accusations that they attacked three women at their five-star hotel.

Lawyers for the players have made legal submissions for them to be freed on bail and all three were set to appear before the judge, Jacinto Areste, today.

Their accusers were also expected to appear at court but Leicester City chief executive Tim Davies, who was also there today, played down suggestions that there would be a face-to-face meeting between the players and the women.

The players are accused of attacking three African women at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the resort of La Manga. All three deny the charges.

Today, a member of their legal team, Luis Ruiperez, said the court would be sitting through the lunch hour to try to come to a conclusion.

Asked about a timescale for the end of current proceedings, he said: “It will finish today. I am sure.”

This morning the prisoners were brought to court in a large Guardia Civil van at around 10am.

The judge has seen a number of witnesses including hotel staff, taxi drivers, and fellow guests from the Hyatt and was set to see players and their accusers later.

Proceedings were interrupted today when court staff went outside the building for a five-minute silence for those who died in this morning’s bomb attacks in Madrid.

Later, the judge also emerged from the court flanked by lawyers from all sides to issue a condemnation of the “barbaric” atrocity before returning to court.

Leicester City manager Micky Adams said the tragic events in Madrid had put his team's problems into perspective.

Although events of the past week could have a damaging effect on the future of the club, he said their thoughts were with the families of those affected in today’s bomb attacks.

He told a press conference at the club’s Walkers Stadium: “Our thoughts as a football club and particularly because it is Spain are with the families of those affected in Spain.

“That is a tragic event that has happened there today and when you see the loss of life there it puts everything into perspective as far as I am concerned.”

Adams said he was not concerned with the length of time it took for the judge to make his decision on the players' release but believed he would reach the right verdict.

He said: “These things take time.

“As long as the judge takes everything into consideration, I am sure that he will reach the right verdict and I don’t care how long it takes.”

He said that the arrests of nine of his players would have a damaging effect on the club but he hoped that other football clubs would not be punished for what had happened at Leicester City.

He said: “This could have a damaging effect not only on our Premiership future but also on the future of the football club.

“This club was dead and buried last season.

“A lot of good people ploughed money in to save it.

“I think it is hard for other football clubs to be punished with this.

“It is not English football’s problem – it is Leicester City’s problem at the moment.

“I don’t want other clubs and other managers to be affected by our players.”

Speaking ahead of Leicester’s game against Birmingham City on Saturday, where they will continue their desperate battle against relegation, Adams also said he had received a number of letters both supporting and condemning the players.

He said: “Some have not been complimentary and I can understand that.

“In a lot of people’s eyes, they players are guilty before they have had a fair trial and that should not be the case.”

He vowed to answer all the letters.

Players Les Ferdinand and Muzzy Izzet said morale at the club had been low over the past week following the allegations made against their team-mates.

Ferdinand said: “We are disappointed for them and their families – their families and themselves are more important than the game at the moment.

“This club has been dragged through the mud in the past week. Morale has been low.

“We are all human beings, we make mistakes sometimes and we have to deal with it.

“It was always going to be a tough season for us. We are resilient and we will deal with this situation and we will go out on Saturday, give it our best and try to win the game.”

Izzet added: “We’ve had a lot of bad publicity this week.

“Last season, we had to deal with a lot – it made us stronger.

“Obviously, the club’s had a bad week but we are trying to put things right.

“We have carried on supporting the boys.”

Both players said they believed they had nothing to apologise for as the three players being held in Spain had not been found guilty of anything.

Adams said: “The players are very careful at choosing their words at the moment. So far, nobody has been proved guilty of anything.

“You will get a full and frank discussion from the players once events unfold.

“I know one thing that they are sorry for and that is dragging the good name of Leicester City into the newspapers for all the wrong reasons.”