06 September 2023 , 08:45
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Getafe sporting director Ruben Reyes has claimed Mason Greenwood is “just the same” as other footballers after being cleared by a judge - despite that never happening.
The Manchester United man was officially unveiled as a Getafe player on Tuesday after taking part in an open training session at the club’s home stadium - the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez. He has moved to Spain on an initial season-long loan.
The move offers the 21-year-old his first opportunity back in football after charges of attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against the forward were dropped seven months ago. Getafe’s decision to sign him - and subsequently promote him all over social media - has been widely criticised.
Now, club chief Reyes has stepped in and claimed that Greenwood is just like any other footballer at the club after seeing his name cleared. Speaking after the training session, he said: “The most important person to say anything has already spoke and that is the judge. That is the absolute highest authority. What we have done is sign players who are ready to be signed."
Reyes is not quite correct in his claims however. Greenwood was never actually cleared personally by a judge because he never went to trial before the accusations were dropped earlier this year. Further explaining the decision to sign Greenwood, Reyes said: “We did what we do: sign players that are available to sign. There is no need for us to handle anything [off the pitch].
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Mason Greenwood is officially unveiled as a Getafe player (Getty Images)What do you make to Reyes' comments? Share your thoughts in the comments below
"We have signed a footballer who is just the same as Diego Rico and Óscar Rodríguez, and that’s it. We have to do our job, and that’s what we focus on. It is a year’s loan: it’s very difficult to get an option to buy on a player [like him]. He will be here all season,” Reyes added. “There are internal discussions [between the clubs] but those are small details that we try not to share. They appreciated the effort, how convinced we were.
“We’re very excited with him. He was a player that we knew was out there. We worked on it, gathered information and bit by bit we saw that there could be a possibility. We spoke to his family, to his dad, to his people for a long time. We were able to convince him to come here, to trust in us. We’re satisfied. He plays very free, as if he was on a school playground. He has a very high level. We dreamed that we could bring him here, and sometimes that gets fulfilled.”