Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema will appear in court later this year, facing a trial for his role in the blackmailing of Mathieu Valbuena regarding a sex tape as per the prosecutor’s office in Versailles. The offence dates back 6 years, and the player is expected to stand trial on 20-22 October due to his complicity in blackmailing Valbuena in 2015.
Benzema was approached by a childhood friend of his, who asked him to talk and pressurise Valbuena into paying the blackmailers and dealing with them directly, who otherwise threatened to reveal an intimate video of his. Valbuena, instead of giving in to the pressure, informed the police instead.
The criticism that emerged following this was of a severe magnitude, which resulted in Benzema losing his place in the France national team. Then president of France, Manuel Valls also condemned the actions of the Real Madrid forward and reiterated that he did not deserve a place in the French national team, owing to his actions off the pitch.
While Benzema has enjoyed all the success in the world, playing for Real Madrid and going down as one of the best number 9s in the club’s history, his international career was cut short in 2015. He made 81 appearances for France and scored 27 goals for them, and it is unlikely that he will return to the national team.
The 33-year-old denies any wrongdoing and has denied all charges pressed against him. The final verdict is expected to be delivered in October, and we will have to wait to see how that affects the player’s career in the future.
