Former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse has denied any involvement in an alleged attempt to blackmail ex-Marseille teammate Mathieu Valbuena with a sex tape.
The Frenchman was questioned by police earlier this week, but has not been charged.
The 34-year-old told Le Figaro: "I have nothing to do with this, Mathieu is a friend of mine. I just warned him that this was a serious problem for him. It's a story that could have been very bad for me and for him. They interviewed me to ask me my side of the story.
"I never cheated. Mathieu is a friend. When we were at Marseille, I would pick him up for training. There is no scam, I just warned to be careful. He filed a complaint, my name is mentioned and I was interviewed - that's all.
Reports have claimed that three people aged between 25 and 30 are involved in the blackmail plot and all are known to police following previous incidents of petty crime.
It is believed that Cisse did not play an active role in the crime, which allegedly involved the group threatening to leak a sex tape of Valbuena and his partner if the Lyon footballer did not hand over €100,000 (£74,300).
Danielle Joynson
