The date has been set for the trial of Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema for alleged complicity in the blackmail of his former France teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
The alleged incident dates back to 2015 and criminal proceedings now means that Benzema must appear in court between 20-22 October this year in an event now at the heart of Real Madrid news.
💥 Informa @lequipe
👨⚖️ El juicio a Karim Benzema por supuesta complicidad en el chantaje a Mathieu Valbuena, con un vídeo sexual, se celebrará del 20 al 22 de octubre pic.twitter.com/ACgexWI0pv
— El Partidazo de COPE (@partidazocope) March 30, 2021
It has been alleged that the Madrid star acted as an intermediary between a group of blackmailers and Valbuena, who appeared in a recorded video of a sexual nature.
Benzema is said to have encouraged Valbuena to pay the demands of the blackmailers, which was refused, and the Madrid striker was subsequently banished from the France international setup by boss Didier Deschamps.
Indeed, despite hitting 27 goals in 81 international appearances for Les Bleus – Benzema has not featured for the national side since 2015.
In December, the Supreme Court in France rejected an appeal from Benzema that evidence against him had been gathered illegally.
Benzema has enjoyed a glittering and successful career with Madrid – winning 18 titles in total including three La Liga crowns and four Champions League trophies, while he has netted 272 goals for the club.
