Karim Benzema said to friend 'I don't think Mathieu Valbuena is taking us seriously' over alleged sex tape blackmail
Benzema was arrested by French police last week and questioned over allegations that he is involved in a group attempting to blackmail Valbuena
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Your support makes all the difference.A transcript of the conversation between Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema and a friend discussing an alleged sex tape of his France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena has been released, in which the striker appears to explain how he tried to negotiate with Valbuena could stop the video from being made public.
Investigators in the case recorded all calls made by three alleged blackmailers as well as phone calls made by Benzema, who was arrested by French police last week and questioned over allegations that he was involved in a plot to blackmail the Lyon midfielder.
French radio station Europa 1 released a transcript of a 20-minute conversation that Benzema had with a close friend on 6 October while he was with the French national team at their training base in Clairefontaine.
Benzema said that he has told Valbuena: "If you want the video to be destroyed, my friend will go and see you in Lyon.”
Benzema added that Valbuena thought it was a joke, before saying: "I don't think he's taking us seriously.”
Benzema then told his friend how he convinced Valbuena that it was not a joke, and explained that Valbuena could be identified in the video by his tattoos.
You can do whatever you want. Ok, If you don't want to pay, it's your life but I have warned you
"I told him: 'I can help you out. You have to see this guy. You have my word that there are no more copies'", Benzema continued.
"If you want the video to be destroyed, my friend will go and see you in Lyon and you can sort it out with him directly.”
"But can you see my tattoos in the video?" asked Valbuena, to which Benzema said he replied: "You can see everything.” Benzema is also believed to have revealed that he saw the alleged video a week before joining up with the French side.
The Real Madrid striker then tells his friend that Valbuena started to panic over the conversation, before Benzema added: "You can do whatever you want. Ok, If you don't want to pay, it's your life but I have warned you.”
Both Benzema and Valbuena have been left out of the French side for the international friendlies with Germany on Friday and England next Tuesday.
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