The Paris St-Germain women’s midfielder Aminata Diallo has been released without charge as police continue to investigate a violent assault against her teammate and fellow midfielder Kheira Hamraoui.
Diallo was taken into custody for questioning by police this week but was released on Thursday with no charges against her and is expected to resume training with the squad.
PSG’s Aminata Diallo taken into custody after attack on teammateRead more
An acquaintance of Diallo’s who was also questioned by police was similarly released without charge. “He had absolutely nothing to do with this attack,” the man’s lawyer, Frédéric Lalliard, told AFP. “He explained that he knew the two players and had had telephone contact with them in the past, but with no connection to this event.”
After Diallo’s release, the club issued a statement saying: “We note that Aminata Diallo has been released. The club continues to stand by our players to help them get through this ordeal and swiftly return to calm.”
Diallo and Hamraoui were absent from training on Friday.
The Versailles regional police service is investigating an attack on Hamraoui, who was dragged out of Diallo’s car and assaulted by two masked men on 4 November. The men fled and have not been caught.
French media reported that the assault took place after an evening event at a restaurant near the Bois de Boulogne west of Paris. All the PSG female players and staff had been at the event. Diallo had driven Hamraoui and another player home.
L’Équipe reported that during the journey, as the car approached Hamraoui’s home, she was pulled out by two people in masks, one of whom proceeded to violently assault her, beating her legs with iron bars, before fleeing. The attack reportedly lasted several minutes and resulted in Hamraoui needing stitches to her legs and hands, meaning she had to miss a match against Real Madrid in which Diallo played.
AFP reported that Diallo was restrained by one assailant during the attack but was not physically injured. Hamraoui and Diallo are teammates in France’s national team and close friends who have holidayed together.
Diallo, capped seven times, joined PSG from the rival French club Guingamp in 2016.