Real Madrid Admits he is to blame in the blackmail case

One of those accused of the alleged blackmail of Mathieu Valbuena, Mustapha Zouaoui, has exonerated the best known of the defendants in the case, Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.

According to his recent account of proceedings. Zouaoui confirmed the only reason the centre-forward had got involved was because of him.

In an interview published on Monday by L'Equipe but which was actually conducted on June 24, 'Sata' (an alias), gives his version of the scandal that has seen Benzema and Valbuena, at least temporarily, not picked for the French national side.

He first revealed to the striker, at a meeting in Madrid during September 2015, the existence of the video which he'd had in his possession since March of that year.

According to his account, the Frenchman was seriously concerned about the effect it could have on his international teammate if the video was broadcast, indicating that "Mathieu [Valbuena] could kill himself."

Zouaoui then pushed Benzema, via one of his friends, Karim Zenati, for him to speak to Valbuena about it.

This he did when the French team met up in early October but when, according to 'Sata,' "Benzema made a mistake in the presentation of the facts which earned him his indictment.

"Instead of explaining that he knew who had the video, he said "I have a friend (referring to Zenati) that can release it.

"The Police took that to be the declaration of a criminal, when he (Benzema) actually wanted to help Valbuena," insisted Zouaoui.

"Benzema is very angry with me but he knows I didn't put him in this sh*t on purpose."