London resident Mangal Dalal has pleaded guilty to stalking Liverpool Women’s midfielder Marie Hoebinger.
As reported by Idman.Biz, the man sent the 24-year-old Austrian footballer indecent and sexually explicit messages on Instagram, providing his phone number and address and asking her to visit him. The online correspondence lasted from January to February 2025, after which the player informed her club.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service, the messages were sexually explicit, and Dalal also hinted that he would come to matches to see Hoebinger. Fearing for her safety, she blocked him on social media, but the man still appeared at Liverpool’s match against Manchester City at the Joie Stadium. Security staff were present at the venue, and once it became clear that Dalal was waiting for the player near the pitch, police intervened.
During questioning, the suspect admitted his actions, claiming he was mentally unwell at the time. The Crown Prosecution Service charged him with stalking, and on December 4 he formally pleaded guilty at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court. Sentencing is scheduled for January 20, 2026, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Senior prosecutor Sarah McInerney noted that Dalal treated Hoebinger “as an object created to fulfill his fantasies.” She emphasized that his behaviour was “intense, obsessive, and completely unacceptable,” and thanked the footballer and Liverpool FC for their cooperation in bringing Dalal to justice.
Marie Hoebinger has played for Liverpool since 2023 and has made 59 appearances for the club’s Women’s Super League team. She is currently recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in October.
