Valbuena has told judge "Benzema scared me"

Mathieu Valbuena told judge that Karim Benzema "lied" to make him meet someone and "scared" him in the sex-tape blackmail attempt of complicity, according to the testimony disclosed by Le Monde on Monday.

Earlier last November, a French judge placed Benzema under formal investigation as the Real Madrid star striker was accused of blackmailing fellow French international Valbuena over a sex-tape. Both players were omitted from the national squad just an hour after Benzema was charged.

The 28-year-old forward has admitted approaching Valbuena about the sex-tape "on behalf of a childhood friend" who himself had been contacted by blackmailers, but told investigators that he had not seen the tape.

Valbuena, however, told an investigating judge on November 20 that he was assured that Benzema had seen it according to what the latter said while approaching him about the tape at a national training camp in October.

"He said, 'Matt, there is a video, and it's hot,'" said Valbuena, recalling the memory on October 6, 2015 when he knocked on the door of Benzema after being asked to talk the day before.

"I said I was willing to pay to prevent the video being leaked, but I was afraid there could be other copies, and he swore on his daughter's life and said 'there will be no copy.'"

"He scared me," Valbuena was quoted in the testimony. "He lied to me to make me meet this person, just to help his friend."

If convicted, Benzema would serve up to five years. He was also banned from meeting the 31-year-old Valbuena, a midfielder playing for Ligue 1's Lyon.

Benzema has represented his country on 81 occasions and was a key part of the squad for last year's World Cup in Brazil.

Just on last Sunday, Valbuena told a TF1 interview named "Telefoot" that he'd not mind to play with Benzema for this summer's European Championships if called up by the French national team.

"We will see how it goes, but yes, no problem, anything is possible. It wasn't like it was a murder," he said. Endit