Adams given Leicester's full support

Leicester City gave their full support to their manager, Micky Adams, after three of the club's players were remanded in Spain facing allegations of sexual assault against three women.

There had been reports that Adams was on the point of resigning when, initially, nine of his players were questioned by police earlier in the week, but the club's chief operating officer, Paul Mace, said yesterday: "Everybody to a man is fully committed behind Micky. He has done a fantastic job for this football club and he is probably the single biggest reason we are playing Premiership football this season."

Of the nine, Paul Dickov, Keith Gillespie and Frank Sinclair were remanded in a Spanish jail while an alleged assault on three women at a hotel at La Manga is investigated. The three are accused of sexual assault, breaking and entering and failure to provide assistance. They deny the women's accusations.

Mace admitted he regretted the club's decision to go to Spain. Four years ago another Leicester training camp at the resort ended with the club being sent home in disgrace after Stan Collymore let off a fire extinguisher.

"With hindsight, obviously it was an incorrect choice but at the time we wanted to give our players the best possible preparations and prepare for the Premiership run-in," he said. "Obviously it hasn't turned out like that."

He added: "It has been a very, very difficult time for Micky. He likes to be on the training ground with the players and that has been denied him for four days."

In Spain, the legal team representing the three players have launched a fresh attempt to secure their release from jail. One of the team, Luis Ruiperez, said submissions were handed in to the court asking for the Leicester players to be released and he said he hoped they would be released in the near future.

Ruiperez, whose daughter, Ana, is representing the remanded trio, was speaking after a visit to Sangonera prison near Murcia in southern Spain where the players continued to be held yesterday. He said it was now for the judge in their case to decide whether they would be allowed to leave custody.

Ms Ruiperez and Gillespie's girlfriend, Kelly Maguire, spent two and a half hours on a visit to the prison but said nothing to reporters as they left. But Mr Ruiperez, who was also inside the jail for part of that time, spoke briefly to say the players were very well, although he would not comment on any possible future trial date.

It is thought that a judge in Cartagena will review all the latest developments in the case today, although it is unlikely that the players themselves will attend any hearing.