Karim Benzema who is a France and Real Madrid strike has been found guilty of conspiring to blackmail a fellow French footballer with a sex tape.
The two footballers were at a French training camp in June 2015 when the incident occurred.
Prosecutors claim that Benzema placed pressure on Valbuena at the camp to pay up the blackmailers with whom he had arranged to act as an intermediary.
Benzema has consistently disputed the charges, claiming that all he wanted to do was assist Valbuena in getting rid of the compromising video.
The midfielder has returned to France and is scheduled to start for Real Madrid in their Champions League match against FC Sheriff Tiraspol on Wednesday night.
Benzema and Valbuena, who plays for the Greek club Olympiakos, were not present in court in Versailles for the ruling.
Back to the UCL ☄️ pic.twitter.com/6af9P39l5P
— Karim Benzema (@Benzema) November 23, 2021
Trail: Where Is Karim Benzema Now: Is He Still In Prison Over Blackmail?
A judge sentenced Karim Benzema to a year in prison with no possibility of parole and fined him €75,000 (£63,000; $84,000).
Last month, Karim Benzema, 33, was one of five people who attempted to extort Frenchman Mathieu Valbuena.
The controversy shook the French football community, and both players were dropped from the national squad.
Details on Karim Benzema Jail Sentence Explained
The prosecutor had requested a ten-month suspended sentence as well as a €75k fine during a trial at the end of last month during which the forward was not present.
The highest penalty for France forward could have been a five-year prison sentence and a €90,000 fine.
The Real Madrid striker was absent from both the October trial and this morning’s hearing.
The four other defendants on trial were found to have been directly involved in the plot and also received sentences ranging from 18 months to two and a half years in prison.
What is Karim Benzema Salary?
As an ST for Real Madrid, Karim Benzema makes £275,000 per week or £14,300,000 per year.
Likewise, Karim Benzema has an estimated net worth of £120,744,000.
Also, Karim Benzema was born in France and is 33 years old.
Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has been found guilty of complicity in the attempted blackmail of former team-mate Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape and sentenced to a one-year suspended jail term
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 24, 2021
Karim Benzema: Wiki and Bio
On December 19, 1987, Karim Mostafa Benzema was born. He is a striker for the Spanish club Real Madrid as well as the France national team.
Benzema is a creative striker who is recognized as one of the top attackers in the world. He is known for his playmaking and finishing.
Karim Benzema, a striker for Real Madrid, was found guilty on charges that he was part of an attempt to blackmail a fellow player in a case involving a sex tape. He was given a one-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros, about $84,000. https://t.co/feLhMgFHwj
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 24, 2021