Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been found guilty of “complicity in the attempted blackmail” of Mathieu Valbuena following a trial in France and has now learnt his punishment.
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The presiding judge in the case has ruled that the 33-year-old played a role in the attempted blackmail of his ex-France colleague Valbuena in a scandal that dates back to 2015.
According to Get French Football News, the judge said that while Benzema was not aware of all the details in the plot to extort Valbuena, he did follow along with the scheme.
As punishment for his involvement in the crime, Benzema has been handed a one-year suspended prison sentence and a been slapped with a fine of €75 000 (R1.3 million).
The controversial incident led to both Benzema and Valbuena being exiled from the French national team, although the former returned to the Les Bleus set-up earlier this year ahead of the 2020 UEFA European Championship.
Benzema’s six-year absence from international football ended when Didier Deschamps and the French Football Federation (FFF) decided to make a U-turn on their decision to not let him represent his country again.
The player’s lawyer has already said they will appeal the court’s ruling.
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