Crystal Palace forward Marouane Chamakh has admitted that a blackmail case, which involved a police investigation in 2011 shortly after he moved to England, destabilised him just as his career with Arsenal was taking shape, reports The Guardian. The Moroccan striker told L'Equipe that the situation was "pretty serious" and wore him down. "It was not easy for me because things about my private life were disclosed," he said.

"The tabloids did not have the right to publish photos or videos. The story weighed me down. People tried to blackmail me. I filed a complaint, the police intervened and found these people."