The trial of Karim Benzema and four other suspects started in the court of Versailles on Wednesday morning. The French attacker has to answer for his part in the case surrounding the sex tape of his compatriot and former teammate Mathieu Valbuena. The Real Madrid striker himself was not present during the trial, which will last a total of three days.
Benzema is suspected of encouraging Valbuena to pay money to blackmailers in 2015 who threatened to distribute intimate images of Valbuena. The Real Madrid striker was Valbuena’s teammate at the time for the France national team. The French attacker, who is currently under contract with Olympiacos, was reportedly asked to transfer 150,000 euros to a friend of Benzama’s to prevent the sex tape from leaking. Benzema has claimed to be innocent to this day. His request to stop the investigation was not granted by the French justice.
Due to the scandal, national coach Didier Deschamps decided to no longer call up Benzema for the national team. For six years, the Real Madrid striker was persona non grata with lesson Bleus, but in May of this year Benzema made his comeback in the national team and as a result he eventually went to the European Championship with France last summer. Benzema faces five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros.
Benzema’s lawyers told the court in Versailles that professional obligations made it impossible for him to attend the trial. He faced Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday night with Real Madrid in the Champions League in Ukraine and is now preparing for el Classico against Barcelona, which is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Valbuena’s attorney said he regretted the absence. The four other suspects in the case, Mustapha Zouaoui, Younes Houass, Karim Zenati and Axel Angot, were present during the first day of the trial.
Valbuena indicated in court that he was first contacted by Djibril Cissé, who warned him about the existence of the video in question. “I never thought of giving money so that this video wouldn’t come out,” Valbuena is quoted as saying by RMC. “I felt I was in danger and my instinct was to press charges. Soccer is my life. I knew that if this video came out, I would be in trouble with the French national team.”
One of the alleged blackmailers defended himself. “I saw the video, we laughed about it, I sent it around to everyone, not just Karim Benzema. Djibril Cissé was also involved. Many players from France have seen the video. There was no blackmail, we didn’t ask for money,” he was quoted as saying by BFMTV. Houass also insisted in court that he never asked Valbuena for money to prevent the sex tape from leaking. “I was just inquiring,” only to confirm that he exchanged calls and texts with Valbuena.
Prosecutors say Valbuena received an initial call in early June 2015 threatening to reveal the sex tape while he was at the French squad’s training center in Clairefontaine. The anonymous caller said he wanted to “make a deal” with Valbuena and told him to name a middleman. Prosecutors allege Benzema was used by the alleged blackmailers to convince his teammate to pay. The 33-year-old attacker is charged with complicity in attempted blackmail, while his four co-defendants are all charged with attempted blackmail and may face an even harsher sentence.