Actual Madrid star Karim Benzema’s trial for “complicity in tried blackmail” over a intercourse tape involving former France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena shall be held in October, a courtroom official informed AFP on Tuesday. Benzema shall be tried in Versailles from October 20-22, the courtroom mentioned. The 33-year-old striker faces as much as 5 years in jail and a 75,000-euro superb within the case during which 4 different males are being prosecuted for tried blackmail. Benzema made 81 worldwide appearances however has not been chosen for his nation because the affair got here to gentle in 2015. He has scored 22 targets for Actual Madrid this season and is the third prime scorer in La Liga with 17.
The October 20 begin of the trial coincides with one of many dates UEFA has provisionally set for the third spherical of matches in subsequent season’s Champions League group stage.
He’s accused of involvement in a plot to extort cash from Valbuena by threatening to make the video public.
Valbuena, who was chosen 52 instances for France, acquired a name from a blackmailer who threatened to launch the video, and contacted the police.
The case centres on a dialog between the 2 males in Clairefontaine, the France staff’s coaching centre, in October 2015.
Benzema informed Valbuena that he may “introduce somebody he trusted” to Valbuena, in response to the latter, to assist him “handle” the potential publication of this compromising video.
“Watch out Math, they’re huge, huge thugs,” Benzema reportedly mentioned.
It was a approach of “serving to” his teammate, Benzema later defined.
Valbuena mentioned he had “the impression of being taken for a idiot”.
Will probably be as much as the courts to find out whether or not this trade was pleasant recommendation or prison stress.
Benzema has described the trial as a “farce” in an Instagram publish. Actual refused to touch upon the choice to go to trial.
The footballer has argued in the course of the lengthy investigation into the accusations {that a} police officer used dishonest strategies to attract him into the affair.
The previous Liverpool and France ahead Djibril Cisse, who had spoken to Valbuena concerning the intercourse tape in Might 2015, was initially focused by prosecutors however they determined in January to take no additional motion in opposition to him.
Promoted
When Benzema was referred to the Versailles prison courtroom in January, his lawyer Sylvain Cormier mentioned the choice “was as absurd because it was predictable”.
Valbuena’s lawyer, Paul-Albert Iweins, mentioned it was “the logical subsequent step in an investigation that has completely established the participation of various individuals”.
