Karim Benzema, Real Madrid forward has been found guilty of involvement in the attempted blackmail of former team-mate Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape and convicted to a one-year suspended jail term by a court in Versailles.
He was also penalized 75,000 euros (£63,000). Benzema’s lawyer said the player would appeal against the judgement.
Benzema, who had denied any misconduct, was not in court.
“This outcome in no way corresponds with the reality of events,” lawyer Antoine Vey notified reporters afterwards.
Real Madrid did not promptly respond to a request for comment.
Prosecutors had quarreled Benzema had cheered Valbuena to pay a suspected group of blackmailers in order to keep the sexually explicit tape out of the limelight.
They stated Valbuena got the first of several phone calls menacing to viral the tape in June 2015.
Valbuena notified the court it was clear the caller wanted money and the blackmail attempt left him tensed for his career and place in the national squad.
Benzema was appointed by the alleged blackmailers to motivate Valbuena to pay as his team-mate stalled, the prosecution had added.
Benzema and Valbuena both lost their positions in the national team in the existence of the scandal, dubbed the “sex tape affair”.
