Paris Saint-Germain was rocked by scandal in November 2021 when midfielder Kheira Hamraoui was attacked by masked men with iron bars. Her teammate Aminata Diallo was arrested on suspicion of orchestrating the attack.
Diallo, who is facing charges of aggravated violence and criminal association, was initially released without charges. Before further evidence convincingly tying her to the attack became public, she received vocal support from teammates and fan groups, with the Collectifs Ultra Paris (CUP) revealing a banner that read "Diallo, we strongly support you! Hamraoui: Who's next?" Hamraoui was also regularly booed.
Hamraoui seems to have demanded an apology from the CUP on Sunday (May 21). After a 0-1 loss to Olympique Lyonnais, she took off her jersey to reveal a t-shirt that read "Insults, no excuses! Where are the men? Patrick Juvet", referencing that pop singer's 1977 hit "Où sont les femmes?" (Where are the women?).
Le tee-shirt de Kheira Hamraoui sous son maillot du PSG ce soir lors de PSG-OL.
Grosse force @kheirahamraoui ✊🏼 pic.twitter.com/69cnadYqDj— 📣 MEGA PSG (@MegaPSG_) May 21, 2023
While no one knows for certain what Hamraoui's intention was by displaying the shirt, her enigmatic message has sparked much public interest in her assault and the dispute with Diallo.
Diallo, who denies any involvement, is believed to have arranged the 2021 attack out of jealousy after Hamraoui, a former friend whom she had once vacationed with in Dubai, was signed with PSG and immediately took Diallo's central midfield position.
⚽️🏆✨ @kheirahamraoui #CoupeDeFrance I #PSGTEGG pic.twitter.com/fdKgpFeP2W
— PSG Féminines (@PSG_Feminines) March 18, 2023
After a team bonding dinner on Nov. 4, Diallo offered Hamraoui and another teammate a ride home. After the other woman was dropped off, Hamraoui was dragged from the car by two masked men and beaten with an iron bar. The men allegedly screamed "you sleep with married men," leading to speculation that the attack was related to Hamraoui's relationship with former Barcelona star Eric Abidal, whom she admitted to having an affair with when the investigation revealed that the SIM card in her phone was registered in his name.
While Hamraoui was in recovery, Diallo was back in her former position and featured prominently in PSG's 4-0 win over Real Madrid. She was soon arrested and quickly released, but rearrested in September 2022 after four men were arrested in connection with the attack, each of whom accused Diallo of organising it.
Diallo's phone had been tapped by police and it was revealed that in the week before the attack she googled "how to break a kneecap" and "dangerous drug cocktail."
Diallo is now out on bail and has signed a short term contract with Levante.
