Premier league Leicester City said yesterday their players, arrested after an alleged sexual assault in Spain, have vigorously protested their innocence.
Nine players were arrested and gave evidence to a judge at a court in the south-eastern city of Cartagena on Thursday after three women made an allegation of sexual assault.
Three of the players, German midfielder Steffen Freund, Greek defender Nikos Dabizas and goalkeeper Danny Coyne, were later released.
The remaining six are Scottish internationals Matt Elliott and Paul Dickov, Jamaican midfielder Frank Sinclair, England Under-21 player James Scowcroft, French midfielder Lilian Nalis and Northern Ireland winger Keith Gillespie.
Leicester's executive director Paul Mace told a news conference that the club viewed the incidents "with utmost seriousness" and would undertake its own probe which would not conflict with Spanish authorities' investigations.
"We realize it is damaging to us ... quite obviously something has gone seriously wrong out there," Mace told a news conference in Leicester.
"We have been in regular contact with the players over the past 48 hours and the players wish me to stress that they protest their innocence most strongly and vigorously on all counts of criminal charges and accusations."
Four players -- in Spain for a training camp in La Manga -- were accused of sexual assault and illegal entry, one of assault and illegal entry and three of illegal entry and failure to provide assistance.
The remaining six players appeared in a Spanish court yesterday after spending the night in police cells.
Mace declined to discuss details of the incidents.
"We have every confidence in the Spanish judicial system that justice will be done. We put our faith in that.
"I have not come here today to mount some kind of a whitewash. There are always two sides, there are always more facts to come out."
He added: "It is obviously a regrettable episode for Leicester City and possibly football in general. It is a cause for serious concern."
In recent months English soccer has been hit by a series of lurid allegations about the conduct of young players, many earning more than ?20,000 (US$36,460) or more a week.
"There is an onus of responsibility on professional footballers to conduct themselves in the best possible light at all times. They are ambassadors, role models for many, many people," Mace said.
"Some of our fans are very concerned about recent events, equally some are very supportive."
Manager Micky Adams and his coaching retained the full support of directors, he said.
Adams and the players were in La Manga to prepare for the closing stages of the season as they battle against relegation from the lucrative premier league.
"We want to get our players back to Leicester as quickly as we possibly can," Mace added.
The alleged incidents come four years after another Leicester training camp in La Manga ended with the club being sent home in disgrace after striker Stan Collymore let off a fire extinguisher.
Leicester have cleared their manager Micky Adams of any blame in the sex attack scandal.
Adams is reported to be "distraught" at events in La Manga as what was intended to be a warm weather training camp turned into a nightmare.
Newspapers said he had told his players to behave when they flew out to Spain.
"There is inevitably considerable pressure being exerted on everyone involved with the football club and it is something that each and every one has to deal with," Mace said.
"It is not about individual personalities, we are all in it together. Micky Adams has the full backing of the board of directors and everyone at this football club."
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