Diallo and Hamraoui are longtime friends and teammates and have been known to go on holiday together during season breaks. They play together for both PSG and the French national team.
The pair were driving together with a third teammate at the time of the attack, during which two masked men pulled Hamraoui from the car and beat her with an iron bar. She was hospitalized and required several stitches.
The club continues to support its players [... and] reiterates its confidence in the justice system to shed full light on the events.
Statement from Paris Saint-Germain
Diallo was arrested Wednesday and spent one night in a prison cell. Police believe that Diallo did not appreciate playing second fiddle to her new teammate. Hamraoui had recently won favor in the starting eleven just months after signing for the team, eclipsing Diallo, who has appeared for the side 64 times since signing in 2016. Hamroui had also recently been the first choice in the French national team.
Diallo was also accused of organizing threatening phone calls made to five of her PSG teammates including Hamraoui. These began as early as October and led to players being assigned personal security guards.
Despite initial suspicion, Diallo was released from prison on Thursday with no charges against her name. PSG said in a statement that “The club continues to support its players to allow them to overcome this ordeal as soon as possible… [and] reiterates its confidence in the justice system to shed full light on the events.”
In a statement released on her Instagram page on Friday, Diallo shares that she was “amazed” to be accused of organizing the attack. She affirms that she fully cooperated with police throughout her 48-hour detainment and denies any rivalry between herself and Hamraoui. She also expressed her disappointment with being arrested at all, calling the situation “regrettable.”
These events come at an unfortunate time for Les Parisiennes, who face title rivals Olympique Lyon on Sunday. The teams are tied on 21 points each, both winning seven out of seven so far this season.