French court rejects Benzema's appeal in the Valbuena case
The magistrates at the Sumpreme Court ruled that the investigators had not used illegitimate means to obtain evidence, contrary to what the player’s defence had argued in its appeal.
The French Supreme court has rejected an appeal by Karim Benzema in relation to the Valbuena case.
The Real Madrid striker had hoped to bury the accusation that has been pursuing him since 2015 for his alleged involvement in an attempt to blackmail his then national team mate Matthieu Valbuena over a sex tape.
The magistrates at the Sumpreme Court ruled that the investigators had not used illegitimate means to obtain evidence, contrary to what the player’s defence had argued in its appeal.
As such, the validity of all the evidence collected by the prosecution will be maintained, meaning Benzema could be forced to stand before the court.
Benzema’s fallout with France
The 31-year-old has not played for France since the incident came to light in 2015, with the French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet recently ruling out a potential return for the Lyon-born forward after Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane had called for his re-inclusion.
“From a football point of view, he's the best. I think he should definitely have a place in the French national team. It's beyond my role here, but he should definitely be called up,” said Zidane.
Amid the continued fall-out, Benzema has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career to date, with 15 goals and seven assists in 19 games across all competitions for Madrid.