It's a really simple case
Is the recording real? (The defence never tried to debunk it, so it is)
If Yes
That is literally, and I can't stress literally enough, rape.
EVERYTHING else, the club, the courts, the prosecution & defence is about wether they have enough evidence to convict him for a pattern of abuse. A key witness dropped out, so they don't. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with innocence.
If you listen to that recording & perform mental gymnastics about everything else that happened after then you're defending rape.
Man Uniteds statement means absolutely fuck all. They wanted him back but it got leaked so they're running defence. The alternative is "yeah we think he's a piece of shit but you guys seem upset about that so we're letting him go"