Last updated June 12, 2024 – 12:14 pm
The story of the bitter rivalry between the two Paris Saint-Germain teammates is told in “Sport's Strangest Crimes: Scandals of French Football.”
It came after a vicious assault that shook the club to its core and ruined lives, careers and reputations.
The BBC Radio 5 Live podcast is hosted by award-winning comedian Maisie Adam and gives exclusive access to some of the people at the heart of the story.
Throughout the eight-part series, listeners will have the opportunity to play the roles of judge and jury as they hear all sides of the case, from the assault to the accusations, the prosecution's evidence against the protests and the defence arguments.
The podcast begins in the summer of 2021, when French women's football star Kayla Hamraoui joined Paris Saint-Germain, competing with friend and holiday partner Aminata Diallo for a midfield position.
After a team night out, Hamraoui got out of Diallo's car and was violently attacked by masked men with iron bars. They aimed at her legs, leaving her bloodied, bruised and unable to play football for months.
Diallo, who was not injured on the night, replaced Hamraoui for PSG and helped them to a 4-0 win over Real Madrid.
The following morning, she was arrested as a suspected mastermind of the attack but was released. For Hamraoui, the nightmare only got worse as fans and teammates turned on her.
Police secretly monitored Diallo's calls and conversations for the next nine months, and the wiretaps produced shocking revelations that led to Diallo's rearrest, embroiled the French national team in a scandal that threw many more lives into disarray.
Speaking about the podcast, Maisie Adam said: “I’m a massive football fan myself, so this was huge news that sent shock waves through the industry and I’ve been following it ever since.
“I've really enjoyed hosting the podcast and I've learned a lot I didn't know about this case. It's an incredible story of jealousy, deceit and violence that continues to fascinate the French public in 2024.”
“You'll hear a lot of interesting developments as the series progresses, and I can't wait for listeners to come along with me and discover for themselves.”
The first four episodes of 'Sport's Strange Crimes: The French Football Scandal' are available to watch on BBC Sounds from today, 12 June, with the next four episodes following on 19 June.
