Man Utd’s appeal against Harry Maguire in the Greek court has been postponed due to a strike
Manchester United’s Harry Maguire moves to West Ham United. Photo: Tiwtter
The appeal trial of Manchester United defender Harry Maguire over a nightclub brawl on the Greek island of Mykonos has been postponed for a year due to a lawyers’ strike, court officials told The Associated Press.
The 30-year-old England international is appealing against a 21-month suspended sentence after the 2020 incident. His case was due to be heard on Wednesday at a court on the island of Syros, the administrative capital of the region.
Yannis Paradeisis, a Syros lawyer assisting in the prosecution and representing four police officers allegedly attacked during the brawl, said a new trial date has been set for March 12, 2025.
“The hearing has been postponed. This is due to the lawyers’ strikes that have taken place in recent months,” Paradeisis told the AP.
Lawyers and other Greek self-employed people are protesting against the tax reforms announced last year. The strikes have led to a huge backlog of lawsuits.
Maguire has maintained his innocence, saying he intervened to protect his sister who had been on holiday with him, and has rejected suggestions he should apologise.
Maguire’s football career has been up and down since the incident in Greece.
He remains a regular starter for England, helping the team to the European Championship finals in 2021 and remains in coach Gareth Southgate’s squad despite being dropped by United on occasion.
Maguire often faced criticism from England fans during matches and Southgate passionately defended him, decrying the “ridiculous treatment of him over a long period of time”.
At United, Maguire briefly fell out of favor with manager Erik ten Hag, but regained his place late last year during an injury crisis and played so well that he is now back in the team.
He was the Premier League’s player of the month for November and is expected to start for England at Euro 2024 in Germany in June and July.
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First print: February 7, 2024 | 7:20 PM IST