Karim Benzema to stand trial in ‘sex tape’ case

By: Samuel Petrequin, The Associated Press Posted: 6:58 AM CST Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 Last Modified: 9:43 AM CST Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021

Advertise with us

Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema will face trial for his alleged involvement in blackmailing former France teammate Matthieu Valbuena in a “sex tape" scandal, the Versailles prosecutor's office said Thursday.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/01/2021 (2107 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema will face trial for his alleged involvement in blackmailing former France teammate Matthieu Valbuena in a “sex tape” scandal, the Versailles prosecutor’s office said Thursday.

Benzema is suspected of having pressured his former national team teammate to pay blackmailers who threatened to reveal an intimate video in which Valbuena featured. He will stand trial on the charge of “complicity in attempted blackmail,” the prosecutor’s office said in a message to The Associated Press. A date for the trial has yet to be set.

The maximum penalty in France for blackmail is a fine of 75,000 euros ($90,000) and five years in jail.

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema shoots the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Celta Vigo at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

The 33-year-old Benzema, the most talented French forward of his generation, has been banned from the national team since November 2015 because of his suspected involvement in the scandal, despite consistent showings with Real Madrid.

The investigators who charged Benzema believe he was approached by a childhood friend that year to act as an intermediary and convince Valbuena to deal directly with the blackmailers. Instead, Valbuena informed the police.

Four other people will also stand trial in the case. Benzema denies any wrongdoing.

“This decision is as much absurd as it was predictable,” Benzema lawyer, Sylvain Cormier, told the AP, denouncing a perceived “persecution” against the player.

When the story broke, Benzema faced a deluge of criticism and then-Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the former Lyon player had “no place” in the national team. Former French President Francois Hollande was quoted as saying in a book that Benzema was not an example of morality.

Benzema, who is of Algerian descent, had a good relationship with France coach Didier Deschamps. But he accused Deschamps of giving in to pressure from racists when the coach decided not to include him in the squad for the 2016 European Championship.

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, right, vies for the ball with Celta Vigo's Renato Tapia during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Celta Vigo at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Benzema has not played for France since scoring twice in a 4-0 win over Armenia in October 2015, taking his tally to 27 goals in 81 internationals. He has more than 250 goals for Real Madrid and won four Champions League titles with the Spanish club.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports