PARIS (Reuters) – A French judge has ruled that there are no grounds to prosecute Brazilian striker Brandao, who was under investigation for alleged rape, a judicial source said on Friday.

St Etienne forward Brandao, then an Olympique Marseille player, had been accused by a 23-year old woman of raping her at a motorway rest area in Aix-en-Provence in March 2011.

"I am waiting to receive the reasoned decision to decide whether we appeal," Emmanuel Molina, the alleged victim’s lawyer, told Reuters.

Brandao had been loaned to Brazil’s Cruzeiro and then to Gremio last year before coming back to Marseille in January.

He was transferred to St Etienne during the close season.

(Reporting by Jean-Francois Rosnoblet; Writing by Julien Pretot; Editing by Mark Meadows)

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