Former France international Zinedine Zidane says he believes what Karim Benzema has told him about his involvement in the Mathieu Valbuena blackmail case.
Real Madrid striker Benzema, 27, was last week charged as part of a wider investigation into an attempt to blackmail his France teammate Valbuena, 31, over a sex tape.
As a result of the controversy, both players were left out of the France squad for this month's friendly matches against Germany and England.
Benzema, who has denied any wrongdoing, was not selected by Real Madrid for their 3-2 defeat against Sevilla at the weekend. Valbuena, though, played all 90 minutes of Lyon's 3-0 derby win over Saint-Etienne on Sunday.
Zidane, 43, is currently coaching Real Madrid's B side, Real Madrid Castilla, and he offered his support to Benzema when asked by French radio station RMC about the situation the former Lyon forward has found himself in.
"For Karim, obviously I'm very moved," Zidane said at a news conference. "I saw him -- I spoke with him. I believe in everything he tells me and nothing else.
"What we have to do, all of us, is to always be careful. That's what I said to him. That's my advice."
Investigators suspect Benzema was approached by a childhood friend to act as an intermediary between blackmailers and Valbuena.
Benzema's lawyer denied reports on Friday that the striker had confessed to telling Valbuena that he should hand over money to people attempting to blackmail him.
According to RMC, the Lyon player is set to appear before an investigating judge on either Nov. 19 or 20 in order to give his side of the story.
Speaking after Lyon's victory over Saint-Etienne, Valbuena said he was pleased to focus on football again.
"I'm happy to do my job," he told Lyon's official website. "The non-sport stuff... it happens. I'm making do with it.
"There are not many things that affect me, even if it's not always pleasant."
Meanwhile, Lyon manager Hubert Fournier said he felt he needed to start Valbuena on Sunday despite the off-field distractions.
France boss Didier Deschamps said he had decided to give Valbuena "a breather" in light of the blackmail case.
But Lyon decided to trust the former Marseille player in what was one of their biggest games of the season.
"Where Mathieu is happiest is on the pitch," Fournier told a news conference. He's already been penalised by what's happened, by his non-selection [for France].
"I didn't see myself giving him an additional punishment."
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