Football Star Karim Benzema to Face Trial Over 'Sex Tape Scandal’

Real Madrid star Karim Benzema will face trial over a 2015 incident involving a sex tape of Mathieu Valbuena for "attempt of blackmail", French prosecutors announced on Thursday.

The Real Madrid striker is suspected of having incited his ex-teammate in the France team to pay blackmailers who threatened to unveil an intimate video featuring him. Four other men are also referred in this case for attempted blackmail and one of them for breach of trust as well.

In 2015, the French Football Federation decided to suspend Benzema from playing for the national team pending the completion of the proceedings, which forced him to miss the 2016 home European Championship, in which the French team reached the finals.