Former Moroccan Soccer Stars Clash in 40,000 Euro Defamation Lawsuit

The facts date back to January 2019, when, on his Facebook account, Abdesalam Ouaddou had described Houssine Kharja as "a mangy dog capable of selling even his family, his country, his friends for his own interest". He also accused him of being an intermediary in the transfers of Moroccan internationals to Gulf countries. He had also made insulting remarks about Kharja’s wife, reports l’Equipe.

On Wednesday, at the first hearing, Ouaddou was represented by his lawyer. The plaintiff’s defense presented the evidence of the defamatory remarks against his client and his wife, arguing that Ouaddou had acknowledged the facts without expressing any regrets. Ouaddou’s lawyer retorted that his client’s publication did not reach a large audience and was consulted by a limited number of his friends on Facebook. He explained that Ouaddou’s remarks were aimed at someone else and not Kharja.

Despite the lawyer’s explanations, Kharja’s defense requested 40,000 euros in compensation. An amount that the opposing party rejects, stating before the court that his client is not a football star of the caliber of Mbappé or Zidane to pay such an amount, and that he has not been a footballer for years.