–France and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has dropped his appeal against a conviction for complicity in blackmail in a sex tape case that rocked French football, French media reported on Saturday.
The Versailles court sentenced Benzema to a one-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros ($80,000) during last year’s trial, convicting him of involvement in an attempt to blackmail his French teammate Mathieu Valbuena in 2015. Benzema was also ordered to pay Valbuena 80,000. euros in damages.
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The initial scandal put Benzema’s international career on hold for over five years, although he has since resumed playing for France, and the conviction has not stopped him from playing. He lifted the Champions League trophy for Real Madrid last week and scored France’s only goal in a 2-1 Nations League loss to Denmark on Friday night.
Benzema’s lawyer, Hugues Vigier, told French newspaper L’Equipe that the player had decided to drop his appeal but continued to deny wrongdoing. The appeal trial was due to begin on June 30.
“My client is exhausted by this process,” Vigier reportedly said. The condemnation “is a judicial truth, but it is not reality. Karim Benzema will always claim his innocence in this case.
Benzema’s attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
After receiving preliminary charges in November 2015, Benzema was dropped from the France squad by coach Didier Deschamps. Benzema was called up to play for the delayed Euro 2020 tournament and he’s been playing regularly ever since.
Valbuena hasn’t played for France since the scandal broke.
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