A FORMER Paris Saint-Germain women’s player was released on bail on Wednesday after being arrested on suspicion of masterminding a brutal attack on teammate Heira Hamraoui, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Aminata Diallo, 27, was detained on Friday by prosecutors in Versailles, near Paris, after police arrested her and took her into custody for questioning.
Four other male suspects believed to be involved in the attack have also been charged with aggravated assault in connection with last November’s attack on Hamraoui, which rocked a women’s soccer match in France.
Diallo was driving Hamraoui, PSG’s star midfielder, home from a club dinner on November 4, 2021, when they were allegedly stopped by two masked men.
Hamraoui was then dragged out and beaten on the legs with an iron rod, resulting in injuries that required stitches in hospital.
“It was an ambush. These people were waiting for me behind the truck. They were in the right place at the right time. How could they be so well informed?’ She told French daily L’Equipe in June.
Diallo was released after a closed hearing on Wednesday and her lawyers declined to comment when contacted by AFP.
While in custody, the four suspected accomplices said they were told to “stop Hamraoui from playing”, a judicial source told AFP last week.
Hamraoui, who has 39 caps for her country, returned to PSG just months before the attack after a successful spell with Barcelona, where she won three titles and the Champions League last year.
Investigators suspect professional rivalry was the motive for the attack, as Diallo was battling with the veteran for a starting midfield spot.
Diallo, who had already been arrested for questioning shortly after the attack but later released, has denied involvement.