‘We have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture’
Manchester United have said they do not believe Mason Greenwood committed the offences with which he was charged.
On Monday afternoon, the club announced that Greenwood would be leaving the club by mutual agreement following a six-month internal investigation into his conduct.
The 21-year-old was arrested in January 2022 following allegations surrounding material which was published online.
He was charged with attempted rape and assault, but these were dropped in February.
But in a statement confirming he would be leaving the club, United said they did not believe he committed the offences with which he was charged.
The club said: “Based on the evidence available to us, we have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture and that Mason did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged. That said, as Mason publicly acknowledges today, he has made mistakes which he is taking responsibility for.”
Manchester United stressed that as part of their investigation, they obtained information “not in the public domain, including from those with direct knowledge of the case.”
Manchester United CEO Richard Arnold reiterated the club’s belief that Greenwood did not “commit the acts he was charged with.”
He said: “While we were unable to access certain evidence for reasons we respect, the evidence we did collate led us to conclude that Mason did not commit the acts he was charged with.
“I am restricted as to what I can say for legal reasons, including the alleged victim’s ongoing right to anonymity, but I am able to share the following with you which should give you some insight into the complexity of this case:
- The alleged victim requested the police to drop their investigation in April 2022.
- We were provided with alternative explanations for the audio recording, which was a short excerpt from a much longer recording, and for the images posted online.
- The alleged victim’s family participated in the process and were given the opportunity to review and correct our factual findings.”
In his own statement responding to this departure from the club, Greenwood said: “I want to start by saying I understand that people will judge me because of what they have seen and heard on social media, and I know people will think the worst.
“I was brought up to know that violence or abuse in any relationship is wrong, I did not do the things I was accused of, and in February I was cleared of all charges.
“However, I fully accept I made mistakes in my relationship, and I take my share of responsibility for the situations which led to the social media post.
“I am learning to understand my responsibilities to set a good example as a professional footballer, and I’m focused on the big responsibility of being a father, as well as a good partner.”
Last week, United confirmed their internal investigation was complete. The club stressed that throughout the process “the welfare and perspective of the alleged victim” had been central to inquiries, but it also had “responsibilities to Mason as an employee.”
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