Issa Diop, the talented player from Fulham, has been released without any charges after being arrested in connection with allegations of making death threats to his ex-partner.
The 26-year-old defender was taken into custody on Sunday evening at the Pullman Hotel in his hometown of Toulouse.
Following claims of repeated death threats against his former partner, aged 29, regarding child support payments, Diop was detained in the Jean-Jaures area.
An official source, speaking to local newspaper La Depeche, revealed that he was suspected of threatening his separating partner multiple times.
The divorce proceedings, which have been ongoing for several months, have been characterized by a climate of conflict.
However, on Monday afternoon, a spokesperson for Toulouse prosecutors announced that Diop has been released and there is no basis for pursuing a case against him.
According to reports, the purported victim has asserted that Issa Diop refused to pay her significant amounts of money.
La Depeche stated that the situation between them is extremely strained, to the extent that Diop allegedly mentioned the possibility of permanently removing her from his life.
The newspaper highlighted that Diop has admitted to some of the allegations, claiming that his words and threats were not intended seriously.
The woman lodged a complaint last week, but investigators had to wait until the weekend when Diop arrived from the United Kingdom to make the arrest.
According to a local police spokesman, Issa Diop, who previously played for Toulouse and West Ham, was held in custody at the Central Police Commiserate in the city.
Another source involved in the investigation revealed that Diop and the woman, who had been in a long-term relationship, decided to separate in recent months, after which Diop became a father.
Allegedly, she demanded a monthly payment in the five-figure range for child support, but Diop refused to comply.
During a trip to Senegal in June, Diop left voice messages discussing the situation with friends, including his former teammate Zinedine Machach, who currently plays in Greece.
Credit: (Rex)
The source informed La Depeche that in one of these recordings, the Fulham player mentioned his ongoing issues with his ex-girlfriend and even expressed thoughts of making her permanently disappear to save money.
These private conversations were unexpectedly discovered by his former girlfriend last week.
Diop informed the police that he uttered those words only once, in the heat of an argument.
According to a police source in Toulouse, Diop’s ex-girlfriend secretly recorded him saying, “She winds me up, I’m going to finish her!”
Diop claimed that he believed he was speaking solely to relatives in Toulouse and that his remarks were not meant seriously.
His defense lawyers argued that the recording should be deemed inadmissible as it was made without his consent and was merely banter with a family member.
While Diop has previously referred to being “married,” there is no formal record of marriage.
Instead, the couple had been in a long-term relationship, and the woman believed she was entitled to alimony following their separation earlier this year.
Diop, who earns over £3 million per year at Fulham, was in France for a vacation over the weekend.
According to the police source, the footballer made death threats to some of his friends after learning about the substantial amount being claimed by his ex-girlfriend.
He reportedly uttered the words “She winds me up, I’m going to finish her!” while conversing with relatives, unaware that his ex-girlfriend was secretly recording him.
Diop signed a five-year contract with Fulham in August of last year, completing a £15 million transfer from West Ham.
A spokesperson for Fulham stated that they are aware of the reports from France and are currently communicating with the player’s representatives to gather more information.
Born in France to a Senegalese father and a Moroccan mother, Diop began his football career at Toulouse FC before moving on to West Ham and subsequently joining Fulham.
During his time at West Ham in 2020, he caused a frantic search after misplacing his wedding ring during a Premier League match against Fulham.
