French footballer Karim Benzema was found guilty of complicity in a sex tape blackmail scandal.The Real Madrid forward, 33, was accused of blackmailing French teammate Mathieu Valbuena in 2015.
He was sentenced to a one-year suspended prison sentence and has to pay a €75,000 fine.Benzema’s lawyers announced that he planned to appeal the judgement; he has denied wrongdoing.The four other defendants in the case received sentences ranging from an 18-month suspended sentence to two and a half years in prison.
- Manchester City’s Ruben Dias named Football Writers’ Association men’s footballer of year
- Kylian Mbappe and world champions France’s fall from top
Benzema claims he was helping his teammate get rid of a problem in the form of a compromising video, saying he could introduce Valbuena to someone he trusted to help.The famous striker’s sporting career is unlikely to be impacted by his conviction, with French football federation President Nol Le Grat telling Le Parisien that he will not be “excluded” from the national team if he is found guilty.
“Even if he receives a suspended prison sentence, he still has the possibility of appealing a conviction,” Le Graët said.Benzema is also considered to be a possible favourite for the Ballon d’Or that will be awarded next week.
He returned to the French team for the Euro 2020 competition after a five-and-a-half-year layoff, and has since put up a string of strong performances for France.
Since the scandal erupted, Valbuena, 37, has not been called up to play for his country. He currently plays for the Greek team Olympiacos.