Madrid: Villarreal’s Portuguese defender Ruben Semedo was Thursday charged with attempted murder and kidnapping, a Spanish justice spokesman said.

The 23-year-old was arrested at his home in the early hours of Tuesday after a man alleged he had been “tied up, beaten and held by Semedo and two other men at the player’s villa in Betera”, near Valencia, Las Provincias newspaper said.

“The judge charged the footballer with crimes of attempted homicide, assault, threats, illegal detention, illicit possession of firearms and violent robbery,” the Valencia court said in a statement on Thursday.

Villarreal said on Friday that they have suspended Semedo and taken him off their payroll. “While always respecting the notion that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, the club has decided to suspend the player from duties without pay until the ongoing case has been settled,” Villarreal said in a statement.

“Villarreal would like to show its horror at the grave crimes the player Ruben Semedo was charged with,” it said. Semedo, who was remanded in custody when he appeared in court on Thursday, is also accused of assault and battery, threats, illegal possession of weapons and theft with violence, said a justice spokesman.  

His court appearance came just hours before his team played a Europa League game at home to Lyon which they lost.

Las Provincias reported that the alleged victim was locked in a bedroom while the men took the key to his apartment in order to “rob money or get hold of something that could have held them responsible for another offence”.

Semedo’s agent, Catio Balde, however told Portuguese television network TSF on Wednesday that his client had been tricked.

“Ruben was a victim of fraud, a large-scale swindle, probably of a financial nature. Against this situation he didn’t react in the best possible way, but he was the victim. From what I’ve seen on Spanish television, it’s a regrettable situation and not correct, but Ruben wasn’t involved in this.

“The alleged kidnapping did not take place. It’s a total lie that there was a kidnapping and torture. The gun didn’t belong to Semedo even though they found it in his house,” Balde said.

It is not the first time Portuguese under-21 international Semedo has been in trouble with police since signing for Villarreal from Sporting Lisbon prior to this season. 

Agencies