France and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema was found guilty of complicity in the attempted blackmail of a former international team mate over a sex tape on Wednesday and sentenced to a one-year suspended jail term.
The Real Madrid striker is accused of complicity in the alleged targeting of midfielder Mathieu Valbuena, who plays for the Greek Super League club Olympiacos. Prosecutors allege that Benzema encouraged Valbuena, 37, to pay the blackmailers.
Mathieu Valbuena and Karim Benzema, embroiled in a sextape scandal, were omitted from France's squad on Thursday for the games with Germany and England later this month while Hatem Ben Arfa was recalled.
France, Japan and United States recorded solid victories on Tuesday as the finalists continued their preparations with the start of the World Cup just over two weeks away.
Germany claimed their first win over France in 26 years when goals by Thomas Mueller and Sami Khedira secured a 2-1 win in an entertaining friendly at the Stade de France in Paris, on Wednesday.
'I asked the coach for an explanation. An explanation can be just two minutes long. It's not complicated ... But I am still at the coach's disposal. The coach knows this' 'I have the feeling that my name is being manipulated for reasons that have nothing to do with football'
England's abject performance in their 2-1 defeat to France at Wembley on Wednesday created a huge media backlash the following morning, although one fact was largely overlooked.
French football star Karim Benzema has been arrested on Wednesday in connection with an inquiry into an alleged attempt to blackmail fellow-France international Mathieu Valbuena, a police source said.
Olympique Marseille must have no fear when they host Liverpool in their Champions League Group D opener on Tuesday despite painful memories of the English club's last visit, said midfielder Mathieu Valbuena.
New blood and a change of formation paid dividends for France as debutant Mathieu Valbuena netted the winner in a 2-1 World Cup warm-up win over Costa Rica on Wednesday.
A French court rejected Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema's request to stop a trial over his alleged attempt to blackmail fellow French soccer international Mathieu Valbuena using a sex video, a judicial source said on Friday. The affair involved phone-recorded sex footage that could prove embarrassing for Valbuena, according to sources close to the inquiry. Benzema's name came up during phone taps in relation to the inquiry opened last July, police sources say.
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema will lodge a complaint for violation of judicial confidentiality after French radio Europe 1 published extracts of phone taps that could incriminate the France international, his lawyer said on Tuesday.
A court on Friday confirmed an easing of restrictions on the movements of Karim Benzema, the French striker at the centre of a sex tape blackmail investigation.
AC Milan were stunned 2-1 by Celtic while Liverpool lost 0-1 to Olympique Marseille in the Champions League.
French Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was placed under formal judicial investigation on Thursday in connection with an alleged attempt to blackmail fellow-France soccer international Mathieu Valbuena with the use of a sex video.
French striker Karim Benzema was heard as a witness several months ago in an investigation over money laundering, a source close to the soccer player said on Friday, confirming a report by French daily Liberation.
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has admitted to lying to fellow France international Mathieu Valbuena over a sex video at the centre of an alleged blackmailing attempt, Le Parisien reported on Friday.
A magistrate lifted on Thursday a ban on France striker Karim Benzema meeting teammate Mathieu Valbuena, whom he is suspected of trying to blackmail over a sex video, which has meant the two cannot feature on the same team. The public prosecutor appealed, but dropped an earlier statement that the ban would have to stay in place until the appeal was heard. The magistrate separately upheld a ban on Benzema contacting other people linked to the investigation. Real Madrid player Benzema, who denies any wrongdoing, has been suspended indefinitely from the France team because of suspicion of involvement in a scam to blackmail Valbuena over a video sex tape. Being allowed to meet Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Valbuena could, at least in theory, enable the two to play for the same team. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said that Benzema should not play for France before being cleared.
Barcelona star Gerard Pique and his Colombian pop star partner Shakira have found themselves at the centre of a storm.
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been suspended indefinitely from the France team because of the blackmail case he is embroiled in, the president of the national football federation (FFF) said on Thursday.
France international striker Karim Benzema, who is embroiled in a blackmailing scandal, is not afraid of possibly missing the Euro 2016 finals on home soil, the Real Madrid player said on Sunday.
France and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema insisted on Wednesday he has done nothing wrong after being put under investigation in France in connection with an alleged attempt to blackmail a fellow international with the use of a sex video.
A Karim Benzema brace and an own goal by goalkeeper Noel Valladares awarded after confirmation by goalline technology gave France a 3-0 victory over 10-man Honduras in their World Cup Group E match on Sunday.
Marouane Fellaini played chief tormentor as France suffered a 4-3 home defeat in a home friendly against Belgium on Sunday.
Ajax Amsterdam produced a performance worthy of the club's illustrious past when they crushed Olympique Lyonnais 4-1 on Wednesday to move to the brink of their first European final since 1996.
Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez has a full squad available, including forward Karim Benzema, for Saturday's La Liga Clasico at home to Barcelona.
German national football team manager Joachim Low has admitted his side were 'scared' ahead of Friday night's friendly with France due to an earlier bomb threat in the capital.
Olympiakos Piraeus battled back from a two-goal deficit to earn a 2-2 home draw with last year's runners-up Tottenham Hotspur in their Champions League Group B opener.
France ended Nigeria's hopes of a first World Cup quarter-final appearance when they scored two late goals to beat the Super Eagles 2-0 in a rough second-round match on Monday.
Free-flowing France blew away in-form Switzerland with a three-goal first-half barrage en route to a thumping 5-2 World Cup Group E victory on Friday that virtually assures them qualification to the second round.
Brazil inflicted France's first defeat since the World Cup when a perfectly executed second-half performance earned them a 3-1 win in a friendly game at the Stade de France on Thursday.
Real Madrid included Denis Cheryshev in their starting lineup for their first match of the 2015-16 competition even though he should have been serving a one-match suspension and the Russia forward opened the scoring in a 3-1 victory.
French Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was placed under formal judicial investigation on Thursday in connection with an alleged attempt to blackmail fellow French soccer international Mathieu Valbuena using a sex video.
New Chelsea signing Loic Remy grabbed the only goal as France squeezed past 2010 world champions Spain 1-0 in a friendly at the Stade de France.
Mats Hummels scored with a header in the 14th minute to give Germany a 1-0 victory over France in the first quarter-final of the World Cup at the Maracana, in Brazil, on Friday.
Liverpool thrashed Atalanta 5-0, Real Madrid boosted their chances of reaching the Champions League knockout stages with a 3-2 home victory over Inter Milan and Bayern Munich came from behind to crush RB Salzburg 6-2.
Brazil scrapped their way to a flattering 3-0 friendly win over France on Sunday in an ugly, disjointed match against opponents who are even worse off than themselves.
Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain again showed his killer instinct with two expertly-taken goals in a late 3-1 win at Torino after their less illustrious neighbours had scored first and dominated the Serie A game on Sunday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances