JERUSALEM: The Israeli police on Sunday said it will open an investigation into a video showing several footballers, including a French-Israeli striker, suspected of sexually abusing a woman.
Gaetan Antony Varenne, a striker for the Beitar Jerusalem club, has been under the spotlight since Thursday after the video tape was uploaded on social media.
"After having seen the footage, in which among other is seen a first division footballer suspected of abuse, the police has decided to open an investigation," a police statement said. It did not name Varenne.
Israeli media reports say the video, which shows several footballers including Varenne and a woman, is an old one and resurfaced when it was shared online Thursday.
Varenne told his club, according to the media reports, that "everything that was done was done with the consent" of the woman seen in the video.
Israel's football federation on Thursday denounced Varenne's behaviour but said it would not summon him for a disciplinary hearing.
The 27-year-old is a pillar of Beitar Jerusalem, which has moved to the top of the premier league standings after its 2-0 victory Saturday over Maccabi Netanya.
Varenne, who played in Saturday's match, has a good record having scored 15 times in 19 games for his club.