Sexual abuse in Gabonese football: arrest of the implicated coach

Front of the Port Gentil stadium in Gabon.

(Drawing).

AFP - JUSTIN TALLIS

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Continuation of the scandal in the world of Gabonese football: Patrick Assoumou Eyi was arrested this Monday, December 20 by the police near Libreville.

The former coach of the national under-17 selection is accused of pedophilia.

Advertising

Read more

Patrick Assoumou Eyi was arrested in Ntoum, about 40 km from the capital Libreville, while he was trying to flee to return to the interior of the country.

The one nicknamed " 

Coach Capello

 " is currently in the hands of the judicial police, after filing a complaint for pedophilia.

In question,

the scandal revealed

last week in the columns of the

Guardian.

Patrick Assoumou Eyi would have abused a hundred children when he coached the national selection of under 17 years.

"Biggest pedophilia case in football history"

The coach, who spoke this Monday morning shortly before his arrest, speaks of a set-up, of "

conspiracy

" to harm his person.

The Gabonese Football Federation, for its part, suspended Patrick Eyi from his functions and seized the Ethics Commission of the National League so that an investigation could be carried out.

According to Romain Molina, one of the journalists responsible for the

Guardian

article

,

it is "

the biggest pedophilia case in football history

".

To read also: Gabon: a sex scandal affects the football community

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Gabon

  • Soccer

  • Society

On the same subject

Sexual abuse in Gabonese football: the tongues are loosening more and more

Sexual abuse in Gabonese football: the sports ministry takes legal action

Gabon: a sex scandal affects the football community