Benzema goes on trial for Valbuena sex tape case

MADRID: Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema goes on trial in France on Wednesday accused of complicity in the attempted blackmail of former international teammate Mathieu Valbuena in a case known as the "sex tape affair".

Benzema, 33, is accused of helping a group of alleged blackmailers to approach Valbuena in an attempt to extort money. Four other men are also on trial.

The case cost Benzema and 37-year-old Valbuena their place in the French national team, although Benzema was restored to the lineup for this year's European championship.

The case centres on the role that Benzema is suspected of playing in the murky affair six years ago, which started when Valbuena handed his smartphone to Axel Angot, a man connected to footballing circles in the southern port city of Marseille, with the request to transfer its contents to a new device. Agencies

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