Marseille defender Nayef Aguerd, formerly of West Ham, was reportedly attacked at a French airport while en route to join his Morocco team-mates for international duty, though he departed before filing a formal complaint.
Former West Ham and current Marseille defender Nayef Aguerd was assaulted at an airport in France while preparing to fly out for international duty with Morocco, French outlet BFM Marseille-Provence reported on Monday.
The 29-year-old was waiting in a VIP lounge on Sunday night when a man approached him requesting a selfie and his phone number. The situation escalated when the man “raised his voice and tried to slap him,” the report said.
Security personnel quickly intervened, and police apprehended the attacker. Authorities questioned the man, but Aguerd was unable to file a complaint before boarding his flight to join the Moroccan national team.
Morocco are set to face Bahrain in a friendly on Thursday before hosting Congo in a World Cup qualifier. Aguerd, part of Morocco’s strong defensive line, has been pivotal in their unbeaten qualifying run.
Aguerd joined Marseille this summer in a £20 million move from West Ham after a season on loan at Real Sociedad.