Palermo player Diakitè insults police, settles for 5 months

Last Updated: March 13, 2024

Salim Diakitè, a 23-year-old soccer player for Palermo in Serie B, has pleaded guilty to a five-month suspended sentence for resisting and insulting a public official. This relates to an incident that took place on May 24, 2022, at the Terni train station when Diakitè was playing for Ternana. The legal proceeding followed a complaint made by Diakitè himself. According to the accusations, when railway police officers asked for his identification for a routine check, Diakitè told them to look up who he was on the internet. This led to a heated argument and insults, which ultimately resulted in the athlete being sued and the three officers becoming civil parties in the case. The lawsuit was revoked following the hearing of the plea bargain, as the damages were also compensated.