Real Madrid striker, Karim Benzema, is set to face trial for his alleged involvement in blackmailing former France teammate Mathieu Valbuena in a “sex tape” scandal, the Versailles prosecutor’s office has confirmed.
Benzema is alleged to have pressured Valbuena to pay blackmailers, who threatened to reveal an intimate video in which he was featured.
He will stand trial on the charge of conspiracy to attempt blackmail, the prosecutor’s office said.
A date for the trial has yet to be set.
Benzema, 33, has been banned from the national team since November 2015 because of his suspected involvement in the scandal, despite consistent showings with Real Madrid.
The investigators who charged Benzema believe he was approached by a childhood friend that year to act as an intermediary and persuade Valbuena to deal directly with the blackmailers. Instead, Valbuena informed the police.