Zakaria Aboukhlal has won his defamation fight against RMC Sport, with the Paris Court of Appeals ruling in his favour. The 25-year-old Atlas Lion was accused of making sexist remarks to Laurence Arribagé, deputy mayor of Toulouse, during an altercation in May 2023. RMC Sport reported that Aboukhlal told her: “At my place, women don’t talk to men like that.”
However, Aboukhal insisted after the verdict: “I never said those words. I have always denied it.”
The claims sparked outrage. Toulouse FC even benched the Moroccan international for two weeks while launching an internal investigation.
But now, the court has found no proof that Aboukhlal made the comments. Ten witnesses backed the footballer’s version of events, while only four stood by RMC’s side. The judges ruled the report was defamatory, ordering Arthur Dreyfuss – former head of RMC’s parent company Altice Media, to pay a symbolic one euro in damages.
It’s a huge victory for Aboukhlal, who originally sought €200,000 in compensation. However, the court’s ruling stops short of that sum. The key takeaway was to clear his name from unfounded accusations.
This legal saga began nearly two years ago, with RMC Sport’s report landing Aboukhlal in hot water. The controversy divided fans, tarnished his reputation, and put his career in jeopardy.
Besides this, Aboukhlal has faced his fair share of controversy, including refusing to wear a rainbow-themed jersey.
But, the Atlas Lion has put it all behind him. He’s currently TFC’s top scorer in Ligue 1 with six goals this season.
