Judge admits sexual assault case against midfielder

Former Espanyol player Alvaro Aguado is set to go on trial to face charges of alleged sexual assault. The 29-year-old midfielder has been under investigation since April of this year, after the alleged victim reported Aguado.

Aguado has denied all charges, and has called for the presumption of innocence in order to continue his career. While Espanyol did not take any disciplinary action against Aguado, they did release him after his contract expired. He has not been able to find a new club since.

Judge admits case against Aguado

The presiding magistrate for the case has admitted the case, as per Diario AS, suggesting that there is evidence suggesting that Aguado could be guilty. The incident occurred in the Barcelona nightclub Opium in June of 2024, but was not reported until several months later. The incident took place during Espanyol’s celebration of their promotion to La Liga, and the alleged victim is an employee of the club.

While the police have been unable to find traces of evidence from the night in question, they judge has based their decision on messages after the alleged incident, which corroborate the victim’s state of mind afterwards, and their testimony.

Aguado set €5k bail – denies charges

Aguado has denied all charges, and while he admits that there were sexual relations, claims they were consensual. Both the prosecution and the defence have submitted their paperwork, and Aguado is expected to provide a statement on the third of November. His bail has been set at €5k.

Second sexual assault case involving Espanyol employee

This is the second sexual assault case that has impacted an Espanyol employee in the last two years. Former Celta Vigo captain Hugo Mallo was convicted of sexual assault, after an incident with the Espanyol mascot back in 2019. There was no jail time served, with Mallo instead paying a fine.