Karim Benzema was sentenced to a year of probation and a €75,000 fine for his involvement in a plot to blackmail former teammate Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape. Benzema’s lawyer told journalists on Wednesday that the player will appeal the ruling.
The verdict from a Versailles court – which found Benzema guilty of “complicity” in the affair – ends a legal story dating back to 2015, which saw Benzema exiled from France national team for almost six years. Benzema did not attend the three-day trial last month. His attorney cited professional reasons, with the 33-year-old trained with Real Madrid go ahead of them classic Collide with Barcelona.
The case involves a pornographic video, which prosecutors say another defendant, Axel Angot, discovered on Valbuena’s cell phone after he was asked to transfer its content to another new equipment. Angot and the third defendant, Mustapha Zouaoui, attempted to use the video to blackmail Valbuena, who was then playing for Lyon and France. They enlisted another defendant, Youness Houass, before turning to Karim Zenati, a childhood friend of Benzema, who prosecutors said recruited the striker as a “middleman”. Valbuena contacted the police, who initiated an operation.
Benzema talks to Valbuena about the video at a training camp in France in October 2015. Benzema denies any wrongdoing, says he is trying to help resolve the situation and warns his teammates “be careful,” describing the blackmailers as “serious criminals.”
However, the police, prosecutors and courts interpreted Benzema’s offer of assistance as aiding the extortion plot.
Benzema returned to the French national team earlier this year, playing at Euro 2020 and featuring in their UEFA Nations League final, and is the top scorer in La Liga this season with 10 goals. .
He is one of the contenders to win the 2021 Ballon d’Or for best male player when it is presented next week. Valbuena – who currently plays for Olympiakos in Greece – has not played for his country since the incident.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
