Karim Benzema Handed One-Year Suspended Jail Sentence in Sex-Tape Trial

Karim Benzema had been banned from the France team since 2015 due to the incident and came back in 2020 Euros.

File Image of Karim Benzema

Image: PTI

French footballer Karim Benzema has been given a one-year suspended jail sentence and has to pay a fine of 75,000 euros for his role in the attempted blackmail of former teammate Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape in 2015, his lawyers confirmed on Wednesday, according to ESPN.

The Versailles court decision is unlikely to affect Benzema’s immediate sporting future though.

Regarded as one of the better forwards in the game currently, Benzema’s lawyers have said that they will appeal the matter.

French football federation president Noel Le Great has already clarified that Benzema would be allowed to keep playing with France even if found guilty. Valbuena -- now at Olympiakos in Greece -- has not played for his country since the incident occurred. Benzema too had been banned from the national team since November 2015 due to this case.

Benzema, who has categorically denied wrongdoing, didn’t attend the trial in Versailles last month and was absent for the verdict. Four others, Axel Angot, Mustapha Zouaoui, Youness Houass and Karim Zenati, were also found guilty and did not appear at the court Wednesday. They have been handed sentences with more severe prison sentences.

Regarded as one of the better forwards in the game currently, Benzema’s lawyers have said that they will appeal the matter.

French football federation president Noel Le Great has already clarified that Benzema would be allowed to keep playing with France even if found guilty. Valbuena -- now at Olympiakos in Greece -- has not played for his country since the incident occurred. Benzema too had been banned from the national team since November 2015 due to this case.

Benzema, who has categorically denied wrongdoing, didn’t attend the trial in Versailles last month and was absent for the verdict. Four others, Axel Angot, Mustapha Zouaoui, Youness Houass and Karim Zenati, were also found guilty and did not appear at the court Wednesday. They have been handed sentences with more severe prison sentences.

(With inputs from Reuters and ESPN)