Wissam Ben Yedder, a former France international footballer and ex-captain of Ligue 1 club AS Monaco, has been handed a suspended two-year jail sentence for sexually assaulting a woman in September. The 34-year-old, who left Monaco at the end of last season and remains without a club, was convicted following an incident in early September where he reportedly performed a sex act in front of a woman he had invited into his car after an evening out.
The woman filed an immediate complaint with local authorities, leading to Ben Yedder’s arrest that same night. “I don’t remember anything,” Ben Yedder stated during his trial, attributing his actions to intoxication. “It’s because of alcohol that I’m here.”
Beyond this case, Ben Yedder is due to face trial next month over charges of psychological abuse toward his estranged wife, with whom he is currently in divorce proceedings. Additionally, he is under investigation for a separate rape allegation from another woman in the summer of 2023, which he has denied.
Ben Yedder, who began his career at Toulouse before playing for Spain’s Sevilla and Monaco, has a history of legal issues. In 2023, a Spanish court convicted him of tax fraud during his time at Sevilla, resulting in a six-month suspended sentence.
Ben Yedder’s contributions to AS Monaco, where he scored 118 goals in 201 matches, made him one of the club’s all-time leading scorers. His national record includes three goals across 19 matches for the French national team.
