Spence Allegedly Ignores Handshake with Partey Before England-Ghana Friendly

Djed Spence seemed to avoid shaking hands with Thomas Partey ahead of England’s encounter with Ghana.

While not every handshake was captured on live television, clips circulating on social media show the Tottenham defender seemingly ignoring Partey.

All other members of the England squad exchanged greetings with the Ghanaian midfielder.

Prior to the fixture, the Football Association issued no explicit instructions to England’s players regarding interactions with Partey during the pre‑match ceremony in Boston.

Nevertheless, the expectation remained that England’s players would observe FIFA’s customary handshake ritual with every opponent, as they had done against Croatia in Dallas the previous week.

Partey continues to deny seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault linked to allegations from four women between 2020 and 2022, with a trial scheduled for next year; he presently plays for Villarreal in Spain.

Sky Sports News reports that FA officials opted not to counsel England’s players on pre‑match contact with Partey, aiming to avoid any appearance of prejudging the ongoing legal proceedings.

Partey missed Ghana’s opening World Cup fixture in Toronto after Canadian authorities barred his entry, but he was eligible for the England clash in Boston once the United States granted him a visa.

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