Sport’s Strangest Crimes returns with story of Paris Saint-Germain attack
The story of two teammates at Paris Saint-Germain becoming bitter enemies is told in Sport’s Strangest Crimes: A French Football Scandal.
It happened following a vicious assault that rocked the club to its foundations and left lives, careers and reputations in ruins.
The BBC Radio 5 Live podcast is hosted by award-winning comedian Maisie Adam and has exclusive access to those at the heart of the story.
Across the eight-part series, listeners have the chance to play judge and jury as they hear all sides of the story – from the attack to the accusations, evidence of the prosecution against the protestations, as well as the arguments for the defence.
The podcast begins in the summer of 2021, when French women’s football star Kheira Hamraoui joined Paris Saint-Germain to compete for a place in midfield with friend and holidaying-partner Aminata Diallo.
After a team night out, Hamraoui leaves Diallo’s car and is violently attacked by masked men with iron bars. They target her legs, leaving her bloody, battered and unable to play football for months.
Diallo, who wasn’t harmed on the night, took Hamraoui’s place in the PSG side and stars in a 4-0 victory over Real Madrid.
The next morning, she is arrested on suspicion of masterminding the attack, but is released. For Hamraoui the nightmare only escalates as fans and teammates turn against her.
Police secretly monitor Diallo’s phone calls and conversations over the following nine months. Through wiretaps, they capture some explosive revelations that lead to her re-arrest, leaving more lives in turmoil, with even the French national team caught up in the scandal.
Talking about the podcast, Maisie Adam says: “As a big football fan myself, this was huge news that sent shockwaves through the industry, and I have been following it ever since.
“I have really enjoyed hosting the podcast and have learnt so much more that I didn’t know about the case. It’s an extraordinary story of jealousy, deception and violence that still continues to grip the French public in 2024.
“As the series develops, we hear many fascinating twists and turns, and I can’t wait for listeners to come along with me and discover it for themselves”
The first four episodes of Sport’s Strangest Crimes: A French Football Scandal are available on BBC Sounds from today, 12 June, followed by the next four episodes on 19 June.