Man, 42, pleads guilty to stalking Liverpool midfielder Marie Hobinger | OneFootball

A man has pleaded guilty to stalking Liverpool midfielder Marie Hobinger after sending her repeated messages and attending one of her games.

Marie Hobinger received “inappropriate and sexualised messages”

A statement on the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) website revealed that Mangal Dalal, 42, of Hyde Park Gardens in Westminster, London, has pleaded guilty to stalking Liverpool star Marie Hobinger.

He is said to have sent messages to the player via Instagram between January 27th, 2025, and February 16th, 2025.

The messages were described as “often sexually explicit” and included his mobile number and postcode. He also asked her to visit him and suggested that he would attend her matches.

Dalal travelled to Liverpool’s 4-0 defeat away at Manchester City on February 16th, 2025. He was spotted by a steward who alerted a safety officer.

Dalal admitted to stalking when questioned by police but said that he was “mentally unwell”.

The CPS charged Dalal with stalking, and he will be sentenced on January 20th, 2026.

Marie Hobinger joined Liverpool in 2023

CPS statement

Senior crown prosecutor Sarah McInerney said that Hobinger was “treated as an object” that Dalal could use to “air his fantasies”.

She added: “His messaging was intense, continual, and totally inappropriate. It had a serious impact on the player who was simply trying to play to the best of her ability in a sport and team that she loves.

“Dalal’s behaviour was criminal and will not be tolerated in a fair and equal society. We would like to thank Ms Hobinger and Liverpool FC for their help in bringing Dalal to justice.”

Hobinger hired a “safety officer” bodyguard

The CPS report said that Hobinger had become concerned and reported the messages by Dalal to Liverpool.

As reported by the Mirror, this led to the Austrian international hiring a “safety officer” to take her to and from Liverpool games because of concerns for her safety.

The safety officer identified Dalal as the man who had been sending Hobinger messages before the police were called.

Hobinger’s Liverpool career

Hobinger, 24, joined Liverpool in July 2023 from FC Zurich, where she won two league titles.

The midfielder has scored nine goals and provided nine assists in 59 appearances for the Reds.

However, she has likely played her final game of the 2025-26 season after Hobinger suffered an ACL injury.

Hobinger left the pitch in tears just 25 minutes into their defeat to Manchester City in October.

Liverpool’s injury crisis got worse just days later when Sophie Roman Haug suffered the same injury.