Women’s Soccer Player Arrested in Connection with Teammate’s Attack

—ELIJAH HARTMAN
Aminata Diallo, an athlete playing professionally for Paris Saint Germain, has recently been arrested in relation to the possible targeted assault of teammate Kheira Hamraoui.

According to the French newspaper L’Equipe, the attack occurred on November 4th when Diallo 26, and Hamaroui 31, were returning from a dinner party. Two men wearing balaclavas pulled Hamraoui out of the car and attacked her legs with metal bars.
The two women sharing a position would seem suspicious to not only public opinion but also the Versailles Regional Police, who placed her under arrest on November 10th. She is being questioned regarding the deliberate assault on Hamraoui’s person.
Allusions to the infamous Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan rivalry were perhaps an obvious comparison only proving to magnify the attention of this case.

Prior to the attack on Kheira Hamraoui, 5 PSG players received threatening phone calls and received security detail. The man who made the calls was allegedly a childhood friend of Aminata Diallo. Many believe Hamraoui was the victim of Diallo’s ambition to get more playing time, as both players were competing for the position of defensive midfielder.
Diallo has been placed under arrest and is currently under investigation for connection to the attack. She reportedly denies any involvement in the attack.

Regarding the incident, Sonia Bompastor, the manager of in-league rival Olympique Lyonnais said that it was previously unseen in the game, and was “obviously negative” for the image of women’s football.
The club condemned the attack and claims they are cooperating fully with the investigation.