Mathieu Valbuena's lawyer says his client has "no particular animosity" toward his France teammate Karim Benzema but that this could change if leaked recordings concerning his blackmail case prove accurate.
Benzema, 27, was charged last week with conspiracy to blackmail as part of an investigation into an alleged attempt to extort money from his France teammate Valbuena using a sex tape.
Investigators suspect that the Real Madrid striker, who has denied any wrongdoing, was approached by a childhood friend to act as an intermediary between the blackmailers and Valbuena.
The case is partially based on wiretap evidence and Sylvain Cormier, one of Benzema's lawyers, said on Tuesday that he was "outraged" by Europe 1's decision to release selected transcripts.
However, French sports paper L'Equipe went further on Wednesday. It said that in the interests of "clarity and truth," it had decided to publish a near-full transcription of a 20-minute telephone conversation Benzema apparently had with his friend on Oct. 6.
Valbuena, 31, is due to be questioned by an investigating judge next week. The Lyon midfielder is also set to become a civil party to the case, meaning he would have access to the case files.
Speaking before L'Equipe's publication, Valbuena's lawyer Didier Dormat had called for "prudence," but he told AFP that it was hard to ignore the constant flurry of gossip and leaks that are being reproduced in the French media.
"We can't remain indifferent to what we see in the press," Dormat said on Tuesday night. "It's certain that if we discover that all that is true, he won't be his friend."
On being informed of L'Equipe's plans to publish the transcription of Benzema's phone call, Cormier said they would press ahead with a complaint over a violation of the confidentiality of investigations.
Cormier said the selected leaks were designed to influence Valbuena's testimony but he was still confident that Benzema would be cleared.
"We will demonstrate Karim's complete innocence, which we do not doubt," he told L'Equipe.
Another member of Benzema's legal team, Alain Jakubowicz, said his client was being unfairly "dragged through the mud" and denounced the case as "a farce."
Speaking on BFM TV on Tuesday evening, Jakubowicz said Benzema was being made to look like "at best an idiot, at worst a delinquent."
Jakubowicz said the former Lyon player would "fight for his honour" to prove he is a "good man" and also joined in the condemnation of the leaks.
"There's someone feeding the press," he said. "At best to feed the gossip, at worst to harm Karim Benzema.
"We won't miss you, sir or madam. We won't give up until we have identified who is at the origin of all of that."
Jakubowicz is hoping that Valbeuna's appearance before the investigating judge will ultimately help clear Benzema's name.
"It will soon be 40 years that I've been working in this profession," he said. "I've never seen anyone charged for conspiracy to blackmail before the victim of the blackmail was heard."