Enlarge image
Lucas Hernandez in the game against RB Leipzig, September 2021
Photo:
Karina Hessland / IMAGO
Football professional Lucas Hernández from FC Bayern appeared in court in Madrid on Monday and may face a six-month prison sentence in Spain within the next ten days. Hernández had been personally and officially notified, the responsible court said. The 25-year-old Frenchman had actually only been summoned for Tuesday, but according to official information he appeared a day earlier at criminal court 32 in the east of the Spanish capital.
The court spokesman emphasized that one still had to wait for the decision of the Madrid Higher Regional Court on an appeal lodged by Hernández's lawyers. However, if this is not yet available on October 28 at midnight, the footballer will immediately have to begin his sentence in a Spanish prison of his choice. This means that the defender would be absent from the German record champions until the end of April 2022.
The prison sentence had already been imposed in 2019 because of a violent dispute in February 2017 with his then girlfriend and now wife. Both were sentenced to community service and a six-month ban on contact for domestic violence. However, they quickly reconciled and traveled together during the six months, which meant that the then professional from Atlético Madrid violated the ban on approaching.
In Spain, the fight against domestic violence plays an important role in society. The judges are very strict, the media report on it in more detail than in Germany, for example, even if unknown people are affected. A contact ban remains in place in Spain even if there has been a reconciliation so that no one can be compelled to undertake such a reconciliation. According to Spanish media reports, Hernández's wife got off lightly because the contact ban had not yet been officially delivered to her at the time of their trip to Las Vegas.
At first there was no comment from Hernandez's side.
The professional should be in the Champions League duel at Benfica Lisbon with Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
The 2018 world champion switched from Atlético Madrid to Bayern Munich two years ago as a record purchase for around 80 million euros.
ara / dpa
