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Crystal Palace manager Vieira backs Doucoure after new signing says he is a victim of blackmail scheme

Patrick Vieira minced no words to express his support for new Crystal Palace signing Cheick Doucoure, whose lawyer has alleged blackmail and attempted extortion from several parties related to his transfer.

Doucoure joined Palace from Lens for €22.5 million (£19m), plus €5m in bonuses, however his lawyer, Alexis Rutman, says the player has been under pressure since shortly after the announcement of his arrival in England.

The Malian midfielder and his agent have allegedly received extravagant demands from middlemen to recover money from his transfer.

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What did Doucoure's lawyer allege?

Rutman claims the middlemen have told them they would demonstrate false evidence that Doucoure has a double identity if they don't receive significant payments.

In a statement, published with the support of Crystal Palace and the Malian football federation, Doucoure and his entourage explained that they are "victims of blackmail and an attempt to extort funds from several individuals acting in concert (a player's agent and a photographer, supported by a journalist), obviously baited by the profits supposedly generated by this transaction".

In the same document, provided by Rutman, the player and his agents denounced the use of "false evidence" that would allow these individuals to "claim that the player has dual nationality".

"(They) demand the payment of a sum of money in return for their silence," Rutman wrote.

"Several Whatsapp messages to this effect, accompanied by false documents, have been sent to my client and his entourage over the past few days. This situation is very serious and obviously unacceptable."

Doucoure and the Blackskill agency have already planned legal action "both on the criminal and civil level" against these individuals and have asked for people who "would support or relay, in any form whatsoever, such actions and/or such slanderous accusations".

What did Vieira say about the blackmail accusations?

The manager of Crystal Palace threw his weight behind Doucoure and condemned the incident.

"I spoke to him and I spoke to the lawyer as well. Of course, myself and the club, we are fully supporting the player. This is something that he as a player and us as a football club we cannot accept," he said during a press conference ahead of their pre-season clash with Manchester United on Tuesday in Australia.

The former Lens midfielder was a priority signing for Vieira as he wanted to plug the gap left by Conor Gallagher, who has returned to Chelsea after a season-long loan spell at Selhurst Park.

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