The wife of former French international Eric Abidal said Friday that she was seeking a divorce after learning of his alleged relationship with Paris Saint-Germain women’s footballer Kheira Hamraoui.
The links emerged as investigators try to learn who was behind a mysterious attack against Hamraoui this month when her legs were beaten after she was dragged out of a car with her teammate Aminata Diallo.
Earlier this week, Hamraoui appealed to the media to respect her privacy after police discovered she was using a telephone SIM card registered in Abidal’s name on the night of the attack.
“Hayet Abidal is going to file a divorce request in Barcelona,” her lawyers said in a statement.
Eric Abidal, a household name in France, was Barcelona’s sporting director from 2018 to 2020, during which time Hamraoui was with the women’s team.
The statement claimed that he “admitted to his spouse” having an affair with Hamraoui after French prosecutors in the Paris suburb of Versailles announced the SIM card link.
Hayet Abidal “reiterates her request to be questioned very soon on a case that has already had several collateral victims,” the statement added.
The Abidals, who know each other from their native Lyon in southeast France, have been married since 2007 and have four daughters and a son.
Diallo, who was not injured in the attack, was held for questioning for nearly 35 hours last week before being released without charge.
The attack and its aftermath sent shockwaves through the PSG club, with the two players considered friendly rivals for midfield positions.
Hamraoui was left out of the squad in PSG’s 2-0 defeat of Real Madrid on Thursday, which saw them clinch their place in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League.
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