International Players

Problems for Zidane at Real Madrid: Why Benzema could end up in jail

By Fredi Roman

The Real Madrid star is facing several judicial problems and may end up in prison.

The Real Madrid star is facing several judicial problems and may end up in prison.

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Karim Benzema played his last official game for France national team on October 2015. It was the no. 81 he played with the French team, scoring 27 goals so far. Despite his good performances and the fact that his professional career was going to go even better, head coach Didier Deschamps decide to axe him and left him out forever.

The reason was a judicial dispute that the striker had with Mathieu Valbuena, the midfielder who was sexual blackmail and denounced it. The justice arrived to the conclusion that Benzema himself was being part of the extortion to his own teammate, in which a rescue of $150,000 was being asked. Since then, his time at France national team ended.

The judicial process went to various stages already, but now Benzema could end up in prison. Despite Zinedine Zidane’s desire, there are certain possibilities on him having to spend some time in jail if it is finally confirmed that he was responsible for the blackmail of Valbuena, what would mean an historical scandal in soccer.

The episode occurred between June and October 2015, and it was revealed that Karim Zenati is the name of the supposed friend of Benzema whom the soccer idol helped to extort Valbuena. On that time the playmaker was playing at Olympique Lyon, Benzema’s former side, and nowadays he is still active on Olympiakos.

The career of Benzema

The attacker is now 33 years old and, six year after that episode, he has never played for the France national team again. On July 2009, he moved from Olympique Lyon to Real Madrid in a transfer for $35 million and since then he has been one of the best players from the Galacticos. With a contract until 2022, he could need to leave the Spanish side for this tremendous and particular reason.


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