Crises in the sports industry come in lots of different forms, but few are as potentially devastating as when a professional athlete is suspected of having committed a crime.

The UK operates an adversarial criminal justice system, so while the rights of a victim are of course important, any criminally accused athlete’s support and legal team must be fully prepared to defend them. Doing this effectively may mean acting across numerous fronts simultaneously: from a police investigation and arrest; to employment relationships with clubs and teams; to commercial relationships with sponsors and brands; to reputational management in press and social media. The financial and practical costs can be large, and the emotional toll on everyone enormous.

In this situation, it is vital to have a firm grasp of what needs to be done to ensure you can act swiftly, decisively, and appropriately whenever an allegation of criminal wrongdoing arises. This article provides a bird’s-eye view of what an accused athlete and their team can expect if faced with criminal allegations, along with practical tips on how to manage the situation:

• What to do between suspicion and accusation - should I approach a potential claimant?
• How to deal with a police investigation
  • Procedure, rights and instructing a criminal lawyer
  • Evidence
  • Negotiating a pre-arranged interview in place of arrest
  • Interview, bail and the ongoing investigation
• Managing your relationship with your club, league and sponsors
• Managing the press and social media: trying to retain maximum discretion
• Key points to remember