This seems like one of those cases that we wouldn’t hear the end of if it involved any British based players. Because it’s a French trial we’ve been spared a lot of the details, but it sounds like the problems for Karim Benzema could just be starting.
A report from RT Sport has indicated that Benzema now faces a criminal trial for his part in a blackmail case that involves a sextape and his former France teammate Matthieu Valbuena.
The story suggests that this started when Valbuena alleged he was the victim of a blackmail plot after someone contacted him claiming to have access to a sex tape that involved him. The story goes on to say that Benzema then tried to act as a middle man as one of the blackmailers was a childhood friend, but it sounds like it got messy and now Benzema has been implicated with the criminal gang.
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Since the details became public Benzema hasn’t played for France so it’s pretty much ended his international career, but it could also have an impact on his club career.
The report now says that Benzema’s legal team launched a final appeal which failed, so now the case will go to an investigative judge who will decide if it should go to trial or not.
There’s no real indication if anyone expects it goes to trial or what the potential outcome could be, but it sounds like Benzema could be in big trouble if he is found guilty over this.
It might take a while to reach a conclusion, but this must come as a distraction for Real Madrid.