A trial involving Real Madrid star Karim Benzema is under way in France, with the player opting not to attend for the first day of proceedings.
The striker played for his club against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday night, and was not present as the trial got under way at Versailles Criminal Court.
The case centres around an alleged blackmail attempt aimed at France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena, currently playing for Olympiakos.
Benzema denies the charge and insists the issue was simply a misunderstanding on the part of the now 37-year-old.
Valbeuna was allegedly approached and warned that a compromising video of him would be published if he didn't pay a sum of money.
On October 6, 2015 Benzema went to see his team-mate at Les Bleus' Clairefontaine base and it's that meeting the trial will focus on.
The striker is said to have told Valbuena that he could help him "manage" the issue and to "watch out, because these guys are big, big thugs".
Benzema insists this was a matter of friendly advice, which his team-mate took to be a threat.
Wire taps also revealed the Real Madrid man speaking to a childhood friend, Karim Zenati, about the tape, with the man alleged to be an intermediary for the blackmailers.
Zenati's lawyer insists his client "in no way lent his support" to any blackmail attempt.
The offence of attempting and complicity in attempted blackmail is punishable by a maximum penalty of 5 years' imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros.
The trial got under way on Wednesday morning, with Benzema's attorney Antoine Vey explaining that his client would not be in attendance after a Champions League match the night before.
That was condemned by Valbuena's laywers, who insisted the France star "has been proclaiming for five years" he wanted the chance to prove his innocence.
The Olympiakos player was present, and declared he had never considered paying to keep the tape private, but feared the impact its release could have on his career with the national team with Euro 2016 coming up.
The trial is expected to run until Friday.
