Olympiakos’ Semedo attacked outside home – report

Olympiakos’ Portugal international Ruben Semedo was attacked by three hooded men outside his home in the Athens suburb of Glyfada, the Kathimerini newspaper reported on Saturday.

The 27-year-old centre-back told police he was returning home with a Portuguese friend late Friday when the attackers struck armed with wooden sticks.

The pair reported the incident at a local police station before an ambulance took them to hospital.

The player was hit in the shoulder and back and his friend in the mouth.

Semedo has had a series of legal problems in his career.

Earlier this month he was arrested after his female companion accused him of assault.

However the 28-year-old Portuguese woman dropped the charges and Semedo was released.

Semedo, who won the third of his international caps in November, later posted on Instagram that “this is all fake news”.

In a separate case, last August he was released on 10,000 euros bail after an accusation of rape by a 17-year-old girl.

Semedo was arrested after the teenage girl told Athens police he, and a 40-year-old Nigerian man, had lured her back to his house and raped her.

The Sporting Lisbon academy product denied the accusations. He admitted to consensual sexual intercourse but said he did not know the girl’s age, judicial officials told AFP.

Greek media report that Semedo may be in line for a transfer to Porto.

He joined Piraeus-based Olympiakos two years ago on a four-year contract from Spanish club Villarreal.

Semedo left Villarreal after being convicted of attempted murder for which he was given a five-year jail term.

But he avoided prison in exchange for an eight-year ban on entering Spanish territory under an agreement struck in 2020. He was also fined 46,000 euros.