A court in Versailles, France has found Karim Benzema guilty of complicity in a sex-tape blackmail scandal that dates back to 2015. Benzema was accused of blackmailing former international teammate Mathieu Valbuena in 2015 over a sex tape while the two were on international duty. The 33-year-old Real Madrid striker has maintained his innocence and insisted that he was merely trying to help Valbuena deal with the situation and have the tape destroyed.
Along with a suspended 12-month prison sentence, Benzema has been fined €75,000. Benzema’s lawyer has confirmed that he intends to appeal the court’s decision. The player was not present during either the trial or the verdict. Benzema originally faced up to five years in prison. There have yet to be any comments from Real Madrid regarding the situation.
Future With France
Benzema was omitted from the French National Team for a period of nearly six years as a result of the scandal in 2015. Last summer, he finally returned to represent France at Euro 2020. Benzema helped France win the UEFA Nations League title in October.
Noël Le Graët, President of the French Football Federation, expressed support for Benzema, declaring that the guilty verdict will not impact Benzema’s future with Les Bleus. The team has already qualified for next year’s World Cup in Qatar. The striker is likely to be part of the squad. Additionally, he is having another good season with Real Madrid and is currently La Liga’s top scorer.
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Future With Real Madrid
Quite frankly, this whole issue never impacted Benzema’s domestic career with Los Blancos. Benzema’s success since 2015 includes winning three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles from 2016-2018. He is fourth all-time in scoring in Champions League history, and he is Real Madrid’s fourth all-time leading scorer, as well.
The current situation shouldn’t affect Benzema’s career going forward. With his legal team handling everything, he is free to focus on his play. Real Madrid is competing in this season’s Champions League tournaments, where they are one of the favorites to win it all. Los Blancos is advancing to the Champions League knockout stage, and Benzema is expected to be a pivotal piece for the club during the rest of the tournament.
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