Case of the sextape: Benzema, sentenced to one year in prison, appeals

His trial last month had gone without Karim Benzema, the Real Madrid striker having justified his absence by his schedule and the "sporting pressure" that surrounds him.

This Wednesday, the Versailles Criminal Court sentenced the French football star, once again absent due to a Tuesday night match in Moldova, to one year in prison and a 75,000 euro fine.

month in prison suspended for "complicity in attempted blackmail" on his former teammate Mathieu Valbuena.

He was found guilty of aiding and abetting attempted blackmail.

Quickly, Karim Benzema's lawyer let it be known that the footballer was appealing his conviction.

Read also Karim Benzema, the return to grace of the enfant terrible

During the high-profile hearing of the “sextape affair” last month, the prosecution had requested against Karim Benzema 10 months suspended prison sentence and a 75,000 euros fine.

The 33-year-old took part in an important Champions League meeting on Tuesday evening against Sheriff Tiraspol, in Moldova, while the plaintiff Mathieu Valbuena, victim of blackmail around an intimate video and who plays at Olympiakos in Greece, will also be absent, said his lawyer.

Against the four other defendants, prosecuted in this case for attempted blackmail, prosecutors requested sentences ranging from 18 months suspended to four years in prison.

Laughter and mockery recorded

During the hearing, the recording of a conversation between Benzema and his childhood friend and intermediary in this affair, Karim Zenati, had been played, in which one could hear the laughter and the teasing of the two men who called each other just after Benzema spoke to Valbuena on October 6, 2015. Then, during his indictment, the public prosecutor recalled the duty of exemplary performance of the Real Madrid star, "bearer of an image, hope, notoriety and of moral values ​​”.

"Benzema is not a good Samaritan who came to help, he acted to allow the negotiators to achieve their ends and the blackmailers to touch money", had also supported the prosecutor Ségolène Marés, who had underlined the "Authority and notoriety in the French team" of the former striker of Olympique Lyonnais.

No exclusion in case of sanction

"We never said that he was benevolent (...) but it is not a criminal offense", replied Me Antoine Vey, counsel for Benzema, who, during his plea, had denounced an investigation "to charge ”against his client and a case filled with“ hypotheses and speculations ”built solely on the“ feelings ”of the complainant.

Two weeks ago, the boss of the French Football Federation Noël Le Graët explained in our pages that the Real striker "would not be excluded" from the France team in the event of "judicial sanction".

Asked about this point in early October, coach Didier Deschamps remained evasive, repeating that he was making “sporting choices” when calling his players.

As for Real Madrid, it seems very unlikely that they will sanction their best player, whom they have always supported in this matter.