Benoît Kounkoud, Accused of Attempted Rape, Returns to Play with Kielce

Benoît Kounkoud, the 26-year-old right winger, has made a remarkable return to his career after a series of chaotic weeks. He significantly contributed to a triumphant victory of his Polish club Kielce over the Norwegians Kolstad with a score of 31-23 in the Champions League match held on Thursday evening. He managed to score a goal within just two shots.

The former PSG player (from 2015 to 2022) was taken into police custody on January 31, which was three days after the French team’s victory in the Euro. The reason behind his arrest was a rape accusation leveled against him by a 20-year-old woman. According to her, Kounkoud attempted to rape her in a nightclub in Paris where he was celebrating the European title with his teammates. Kounkoud has vehemently denied these allegations. Although he was released as the investigations continued, his club Kielce responded swiftly by suspending him on February 2. The club stated that Kounkoud would not be allowed to represent the club in any of the team’s matches until the French authorities clarified the matter. Consequently, he was absent from the Champions League match against PSG in Paris last week.

However, Kounkoud has been reinstated in recent days. Kielce announced his return to the group on Wednesday and he played against Kolstad on the field.