It’s a real bomb that shook everyone in football and more particularly Antoine Griezmann and his family. According to information from the regional newspaper Actu Pays basque, later confirmed by The Parisianthe former adviser to the world champion, Eric Olhats, was arrested Wednesday, May 11, in the morning. Currently a recruiter for Atletico de Madrid in France, the club in which the 31-year-old Frenchman plays, he has long been very close to the latter. Aged 59, he was arrested by the judicial police and placed in custody at the Bayonne police station (Pyrenees-Atlantiques).
Long considered close to Antoine Griezmann, he is heard for alleged acts of sexual assault on minors. According to press reports, the facts date back to the 1990s, as well as the early 2000s, when Éric Olhats was responsible for training young players at the Bayonne football club. It was club players, minors at the material time, who accused Griezmann’s ex-confidence man of these sexual assaults. According to information fromNews Basque Country, “an alleged victim reportedly filed a complaint a few days ago”.
Several reports for “touching and sexual assault”
According to their information, in addition to this complaint, “other reports for touching and sexual assault on minors” would have been reported. This is not the first time that Éric Olhats has been questioned in a legal case, since in 2010, he won an appeal in a case of corruption of minors.
Antoine Griezmann has long been very close to Éric Olhats who took him under his wing when he was a recruiter for Real Sociedad, a Spanish club. At the time, he became his adviser and even goes so far as to accommodate him for six years at his home. “It’s an atypical relationship as was the trajectory of Antoine, recognized Olhats in 2016. We are aware that we have never been in the norm but we continue like this. It is a relationship that combines professionalism and friendship. We have found the right balance between proximity and trust.”, explained Éric Olhats in 2016 in an article in Le Parisien. They fell out for good in June 2017 after Éric Olhats refused to come to the France international’s wedding.
Eric Olhats remains presumed innocent until the final judgment of this case.