Mason Greenwood's new life in Getafe, neither innocent nor guilty of abuse: "He has suffered a media trial"

«You don't have to be very perceptive to realize that he is an introverted kid, always with his music in his headphones.. But here he looks happy. I think he simply wants to reciprocate the affection of the fans.. And it is something reciprocal, because people believe in it.”. This exchange process, this mutual trust that a Getafe coach talks about, is what Mason Greenwood and the azulón club share, where the English striker, one of the best talents of his generation, has once again felt like a footballer.. It seems no small matter for a 22-year-old boy who just 12 months ago left Minshull Street Court in Manchester, hidden under a black hood while awaiting trial.. He was accused of “attempted rape, controlling and coercive behavior, and assault causing bodily harm.”. This Saturday, Greenwood once again appears to be a starter in LaLiga, where in the last three five days he has scored a goal and two assists.

“More than shy, I would say that he is very polite,” they point out from the offices of the Coliseum, the stadium that receives Almería, a bottom team worried about how to stop Greenwood, a reference in José Bordalás' attack. A different player, called to mark an era at Manchester United since his debut, back in 2019. On September 19 of that year, during a Europa League match against Astana, he became the youngest scorer in Red Devil history in European competitions.. He was 17 years, 11 months and 19 days old.. Today, the Old Trafford club not only pays him his three million euros of guaranteed annual salary, but also personalized psychological help.

This has been confirmed by this newspaper, which contacted Getafe to gauge the situation.. «We do not understand so much commotion, because judicially he is not accused of anything. Although they commissioned a private investigation, they finally concluded that there was absolutely nothing,” they say from the south of the capital.. Indeed, on February 12, the Manchester Prosecutor's Office dropped the charges against Greenwood. «The resignation of key witnesses and the appearance of new material mean that there are no longer realistic prospects for a conviction. Under these circumstances, we have the obligation to stop the case,” the letter detailed.. It is worth highlighting that the footballer was not acquitted by the judge. Neither declared guilty or innocent. Simply, his judicial process was paralyzed.

After several chapters of tension between the manager, Erik ten Hag, and the executive director, Richard Arnold, United announced on August 12 a “mutual” agreement for the departure of Greenwood. In the farewell statement, it could be read that the footballer “fully” accepted the “mistakes during my relationship.”. “I assume my part of responsibility,” the letter concluded.. Just three weeks later, Ángel Torres, president of Getafe, confirmed his incorporation. During the first training session, open to the public, 1,200 fans applauded the new idol.

“They haven't let him down”

Since then, United have monitored Greenwood's every move, including the aforementioned psychological support. «They have not left him lying. This gesture shows what type of people and professionals they are,” says a senior manager, outside of Getafe, who has followed the case very closely.. “There is a lot behind his transfer, although it is the kid who must take the final step,” concludes this source.

Nor should we forget that, as a member of the Professional Footballers' Union of England (PFA), Greenwood should follow one of the mandatory workshops prescribed by this entity. A tool with which footballers can learn very basic concepts, such as the value of a healthy relationship, consent in sexual relations or their responsibilities as public figures.

From the Coliseum offices they neither confirm nor deny these therapies. They simply talk about a “media trial”. «Beyond what the tabloids have published, we see him happy with the city, the gastronomy and the climate. In short: dedicated to the cause». For Getafe, the most important thing is that Greenwood lives happily with Harriet Robson, his lifelong girlfriend.. The same one who reported him on January 30, 2022 through Instagram. “To all those who want to know what Mason Greenwood really does to me,” read his overwhelming message, accompanied by photos with a bleeding lip, bruises all over the body and audio recordings, with a very gruesome male voice.. On July 11, Harriet gave birth to the couple's first child.

Greeenwood, against Osasuna during his debut at the Coliseum. AP

Since September, grandparents' visits to Getafe have been common. Andrew, an engineer by profession, acts as Mason's agent, and Melanie, a Jamaican national, continues to be the pillar of the discipline. Today, Mason takes Spanish classes and has regained some activity on social networks. In fact, his latest publication, in which he appears with material valued at more than 25,000 euros, has just reopened the wounds with the brand that canceled his contract after the arrest.. “Mason is no longer a Nike athlete,” a spokesperson for the American firm confirmed to The Sun newspaper on Wednesday.. During training and matches in LaLiga, Greenwood has limited himself to wearing old models from his former supplier.

“very good feeling with the kids”

While waiting to resolve these disputes, the Coliseum hopes that their striker will continue to progress on the green. And leave behind that bad reputation that has been with you since that expulsion from the English team for breaking the confinement rules. From the league debut, when he had to endure the boos of the Osasuna fans, to the open hostility of San Mamés, also shouting “Greenwood, die”, spirits have cooled. “We went to Vigo and there was nothing, not even in Mallorca and Granada,” they list in the club.

Of course, Greenwood's popularity in the Fernando Santos de la Parra Sports City is on the opposite side of the spectrum. «He is one of those who serves children for autographs. Maybe they don't demand as much from him as other locker room leaders, such as Borja Mayoral, but he has a very good feeling with the kids,” says the aforementioned club coach.. Without a single reproach for his behavior, with a specific weight that is increasingly noticeable on the Bordalás board, Greenwood's continuity for another year does not seem far away. At the moment, his contract with United expires in 2025.

To understand the importance of the winger in the Glazer family's plans, it is enough to remember that in January 2022, just a few weeks before the scandal broke out, the CIES Football Observatory report considered him the fourth most valuable footballer in the world (139 million of euros) only behind Vinicius, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland. Today, Greenwood's value, according to Transfermarkt, the reference website for market affairs, is reduced to five million. A figure that, if its growth is consolidated in Getafe, will increase exponentially in the coming months.