Wednesday November 24th 2021
Blackmail from ex-teammate
Benzema sentenced to imprisonment
The French professional footballer has been found guilty of blackmailing a former national team colleague and has been sentenced to imprisonment. Benzema does not have to go to jail, the sentence is suspended.
The French soccer world champion Karim Benzema was found guilty for his involvement in the extortion of his former national teammate Mathieu Valbuena. The Real Madrid professional has been sentenced to one year suspended prison sentence. He also has to pay a fine of 75,000 euros. The public prosecutor had previously requested ten months probation and a fine of 75,000 euros for the national player. The defense lawyers demanded acquittal.
“We are shocked by the verdict,” said Benzema’s attorney Paul-Albert Iweins after the verdict was pronounced in Versailles. He announced that he would appeal. The judges consider it proven that Benzema was involved in the attempted blackmail of his then colleague in the national team, Mathieu Valbuena, in 2015. Back then it was threatened French midfielder Mathieu Valbuena with the release of an intimate video when he calledon which this can be seen. Benzema was convinced that the court acted as an accomplice.
“No Good Samaritan”
Benzema had contacted Valbuena about the video. On behalf of a childhood friend, he is said to have urged his teammate to meet the blackmailer’s money claim. Benzema, on the other hand, asserts that he only wanted to do Valbuena a favor with good advice. “Benzema is not a good Samaritan who wanted to help,” said Prosecutor Segolene Mares: “He wanted to pave the way for the blackmailers to get the money through negotiators.” In addition to Benzema, four other men were charged. They allegedly threatened to release the video to extort money from Valbuena. The Versailles Criminal Court sentenced her to prison terms ranging from 18 months on probation to two and a half years in prison.
Because of the involvement in the affair, he missed the European Championship in his own country in 2016. The scandal rocked the French national team six years ago, and both Benzema and Valbuena had to leave the team. Benzema has now been pardoned again by national coach Didier Deschamps.