Thomas Partey was granted bail on many conditions, including informing the Police when he wants to change address or travel after he appeared at the Westminster Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday in London.
Thomas Partey, 32, was charged with five counts of rape against two women and one count of sexual assault against another woman.
Spanish club Villareal took a chance on Partey and confirmed his signing on Saturday after he completed his medicals. The news has infuriated Villareal fans as many are expressing their disappointment in the club’s decision to give the Ghanaian a two-year deal even though he is yet to be proven guilty.
“It’s rocked the community. I’ve had people on my social media responding quite aggressively to me, saying he’s innocent until he’s proven guilty. But the overarching reaction is that Villarreal fans don’t want their names associated with him”, Rahul Lakhani, a football journalist and La Liga expert behind the La Liga London account, said.
“They’re seen as someone who isn’t like Real Madrid or Barcelona or the [Premier League’s] Big Six,” he continued. “They’re the antithesis of that. They’re a club that has helped their community a lot, and they’re seen as a family-run club.
“Their name is now going to be associated with wanting to sign someone who has five [rape] charges over his head, rather than being known as a club that plays good football or punches above their weight”, Lakhani said.
Nearly 1,000 Villareal fans have described the decision as a slap in the face by signing a petition.
The petition was launched by the online content hub Villarreal Report. They have described it as “an act of pure betrayal of the highest order” against the club’s supporters and Villarreal’s values. “The darkest day in the club’s history is drawing closer by the second,” it said on social media.
Thomas Partey’s return to Spain is expected to be met by boos and jeers unless he is proven guilty.
Villareal will compete in the 2025-26 UCL, and the experienced Ghanaian midfielder is expected to lead the Yellow Submarines to the knockout stage of the competition.
