Johannesburg – Real Madrid’s goal-scoring machine Karim Benzema is facing a hard time as his future hangs on the rope following the sex tape saga.
This comes after the talisman amongst the five suspects who were placed on trial last month over the attempt to blackmail French football player Mathieu Valbuena with a sexually explicit video from his cell phone.
French prosecutors in the case are calling for Benzema to be punished heavily with a 10-month suspended sentence.
This means that the 33-year-old old striker might be excused from all his activities for the entire 10-months, should the court rule in favour of the prosecutors.
On Wednesday, the French court issued its verdict on whether Benzema conspired to blackmail his former teammate.
Although he faces a risk of being suspended from football activities for a longer period, Benzema is not the accused in this matter, but rather of conspiring with the suspected blackmailers by putting pressure on Valbuena to pay them off.
According to state prosecutor Segolene Mares, the Lyon native claims Benzema was only trying to help his fellow player when he approached him at the French team’s training centre in October 2015.
“He told him he could help him to locate someone to “manage” the issue of the video,” said the prosecutor.
“No money was discussed but Valbuena has described Benzema’s tone as “very insistent,” he added.
“After the conversation, Benzema phoned a childhood friend also being tried over the extortion attempt to say ‘he’s not taking us seriously.’ Remarks seen by the prosecution as proof of Benzema’s implication in the plot,” said Mares.
“While giving testimony, Valbuena said the affair, which also cost him his place in the France team, left him feeling “frightened” and fearful for his career,” Mares further said.
Benzema has netted nine goals after being at the French side by France manager Didier Deschamps for the European Championship. This has placed him as the fifth-highest scorer in the history of Les Bleus.
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