Harry Maguire played for Manchester United on Wednesday night hours after a Greek appeals court upheld his conviction for aggravated assault, handing him a 15-month and 20-day suspended prison sentence. The England defender was not present at the court on the island of Syros, instead preparing for United's match against Newcastle.
The three-member panel of judges reduced his original 21-month and 10-day suspended sentence and added a €1,500 fine. The court also applied the verdict to his brother Joe and a friend, but dropped a bribery charge against his brother. The conviction stems from a 2020 bar brawl on Mykonos, during which four Greek policemen claimed they were attacked and verbally abused.
Prosecution lawyer Ioannis Paradissis said justice was done and criticised Maguire for showing no remorse. He hopes the Football Association will take disciplinary action. Maguire's defence team plans to appeal to Greece's supreme court, though legal experts say only points of law can be argued at that level.
Under Greek law, an appeal automatically nullifies a conviction before a higher court reviews it. This was the fifth time a tribunal convened for the retrial, with previous adjournments frustrating Maguire's efforts to clear his name. The court showed leniency by not imposing a harsher penalty than the original sentence.
