Story highlights
- Karim Benzema under police investigation
- Real Madrid star accused of blackmail
- Benzema's attorney says client is innocent
(CNN)One of the world's leading football players is accused of blackmailing a fellow France international footballer.
French police are looking into whether Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema played a part in an alleged attempt to extort money from Marseille player Mathieu Valbuena.
The allegations center around a purported sex tape, a source close to the investigation told AFP.
Benzema is under investigation for "complicity in blackmailing and participating in criminal association with intent to organize a crime," according to a statement from the Versailles prosecutor's office.
The statement used the French term "mise en examen" -- a legal status that allows prosecutors to investigate someone accused of criminal activity for up to two years.