Paris Saint-Germain defender Serge Aurier has been sentenced to two months in prison for assaulting a police officer.
The Ivory Coast player was arrested near the Champs-Elysees in Paris in May following an argument with police after a night out. He denies hitting an officer but was charged with voluntary violence on a person in public authority.
His lawyer, Claire Boutaud de la Combe, says he is appealing Monday’s verdict “to prove his innocence.” She says he’s “disturbed” by the ruling, which also ordered him to pay 2,100 euros ($2,350) in damages and fees.
Aurier, free pending the appeal, missed practice to attend the trial but is hoping to play in PSG’s Champions League game against Ludogorets on Wednesday in Bulgaria. He will now “concentrate on football,” his lawyer says.