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By Conor Gaffey
Staff Writer
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Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was arrested in France on Wednesday in connection with an alleged plot to blackmail a fellow French footballer over a sex tape, AFP reported.
Benzema—who missed Tuesday night's game against French champions Paris Saint-Germain in Madrid through injury—arrived at a police station near Paris and was placed in detention, according to the local prosecutor.
The Local France reported that the player allegedly in the sex tape is Mathieu Valbuena, who plays for French side Lyon and alongside Benzema in the France national team. The existence of any tape featuring Valbuena has not been confirmed.
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The blackmail case originally opened in late July and three suspected blackmailers were charged and detained in October. The blackmailers are believed to be friends with several footballers, and the Local France reported that police are trying to determine Benzema's alleged role, specifically how far he was aware of the video and whether he was involved in trying to get Valbuena to pay the blackmailers.
In September, former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse was arrested and questioned in connection with the same plot, but was later released. French prosecutors said Cisse was not thought to be behind the blackmail plot, but police believed he may have known those involved.
Cisse and Valbuena were team-mates for the French club Marseille between 2007 and 2009, as well as playing together for the French national team. Cisse later denied that he was involved in the plot, saying that Valbuena was "a friend."
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