Aurier innocent until proven guilty, say Paris Saint-Germain

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain insisted that their player Serge Aurier was innocent until proven guilty after he spent more than 24 hours in custody for an alleged assault on a police officer.

The 23-year-old Ivory Coast international is alleged to have insulted and hit a police officer, a charge the player denied before himself filing a complaint about police treatment.

PSG said it would make no comment on the incident before a judiciary decision.

Aurier was summoned to a September 26 hearing over the attack. 

The incident occurred after Aurier was challenged by police because his Porsche Cayenne was causing traffic problems after he left a nightclub.

Aurier was “aggressive” and “quite contemptuous” when police tried to breathalyse him. It was then he allegedly “elbowed” the policeman in the throat, a source said.

Reigning French champions PSG briefly suspended Aurier in February after he appeared in a video on social media insulting coach Laurent Blanc.

Aurier later admitted he had made a “stupid mistake” and apologised.

With an estimated transfer value of between 20-25 million euros, Aurier was a key element of PSG’s drive towards a fourth consecutive French league title and the Champions League quarter-finals in the just-completed season.

He is under under contract with the club until June 2019.