In a story straight out of 1994, a French soccer player has been arrested for allegedly hiring two masked men to pummel her teammate’s legs with metal bars in a plot to injure her and free up playing time on the pitch.
According to French authorities, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Aminata Diallo offered her teammate and fellow midfielder Kheira Hamraoui a ride home to the upscale suburb on the outskirts of Paris where they both live following a team dinner with club officials last week.
When the car arrived at Hamraoui’s house, two masked men dragged her out of the passenger seat and beat her legs with metal bars for several minutes but left Diallo unharmed. Somehow, Hamraoui was left badly bruised but with no broken bones in her legs, The New York Times reported.
Noël Le Graët, the president of the French soccer federation, expressed shock at the arrest of Diallo in connection with the attack on Hamraoui. Both women have played for France’s national team. “What is suspected is implausible,” he said. “I know both players. I am appalled if what is mentioned is true. It seems unimaginable.”
On Tuesday, Diallo started in place of Hamraoui, who was listed as out with a personal issue at the time, for PSG in their 4-0 win over Real Madrid in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
“Paris Saint-Germain can confirm that Aminata Diallo was taken into custody this morning by the Versailles Regional Police Service as part of the proceedings opened following an attack on the Club’s players last Thursday evening,” PSG said in a statement. “Paris Saint-Germain condemns in the strongest possible terms the violence committed. Since Thursday evening the Club has taken all necessary measures to guarantee the health, well-being and safety of its entire women’s team. Paris Saint-Germain is working with the Versailles Police to clarify the facts. The Club is paying close attention to the progress of the proceedings and will study what action to take.”
If the story sounds familiar, it’s because it happened back in ’94 when Shane Stant was contracted by Tonya Harding‘s ex-husband Jeff Gillooly to attack skating rival Nancy Kerrigan‘s right leg with a 21-inch collapsible baton following a practice on the ice at the Cobo Arena in Detroit.
Kerrigan was forced to withdraw from the United States figure skating championships because of her injuries while Harding went on to win the competition and earn a place on the ’94 U.S. Olympic team. Kerrigan also was somehow able to make the team and won the silver medal at the Lillehammer Games. Harding, who pleaded guilty to hindering the prosecution when the attack was litigated in the courts, finished eighth and without a medal.
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