Former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse says he was only questioned by police about an alleged blackmail attempt on Lyon and France winger Mathieu Valbuena because he tried to warn his old teammate.
Cisse, 34, was arrested on Tuesday as part of an investigation into an alleged attempt to "extort money" from Valbuena over a sex-tape.
Three other people were taken into custody elsewhere in France in connection with the case and, quoted in Le Progres, the prosecutor confirmed that Cisse was released later the same day without appearing before a judge.
Cisse played with Valbuena for France and at Marseille, but on Tuesday evening, the former Auxerre, Sunderland and QPR forward said he had nothing to do with an attempt to con his former teammate.
"It's a thing that could have been very bad for me and for him," he told French TV programme Touche Pas A Mon Poste.
"So they came to hear my side of the story. I never swindled [anyone]. Mathieu's a friend. We were at Marseille together and I used to bring him to training.
"So there wasn't any swindling -- I just warned him to be careful. He made a complaint, my name was included as part of it and they heard me. That's all."