Real Madrid star Karim Benzema found guilty in the attempted blackmail of valbuena

French International and Real Madrid Karim Benzema forward was found guilty of complicity in the attempted blackmail of a former international teammate over a sex tape on Wednesday and sentenced to a one-year suspended jail term. The Versailles court also fined him 75,000 euros nearly 84,000 dollars and ordered him to pay his former teammate Mathieu Valbuena 80,000 euros to cover legal costs and 150,000 euros in damages together with his three other co-accused.

Benzema’s lawyer has intervened and said he would appeal against the verdict. Benzema had denied any wrongdoing. He is due to play for Real Madrid against Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol today. Benzema has everyone backing him, the president of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Graet, said Benzema would not be excluded from the national team were he to be convicted.

According to the prosecutors, Benzema had encouraged Valbuena to pay blackmailers to keep the sexually explicit tape out of the public eye.

They said Valbuena received phone calls threatening to expose the tape. Valbuena told the court it was clear the caller wanted money and that the blackmail attempt left him fearing for his career and place in the national squad.

Benzema was involved with the blackmailers to encourage Valbuena to pay as his teammate stalled, the prosecution had added. Benzema had “deliberately helped the protagonists of the attempted blackmail of Valbuena”, they added.

Benzema and Valbuena both lost their places in the national team in the wake of the scandal, dubbed the “sex tape affair”. Benzema, 33, has played more than 90 times for his country, was recalled to the France squad for this year’s European Championship.