Benzema sex rap continues
FRANCE and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema s hopes of playing at Euro 2016 were given a boost on Friday.
This was after his lawyer confirmed legal restrictions placed on him over his alleged involvement in a sextape blackmail case had been lifted.
Under the restrictions, Benzema was not allowed contact with his international teammate Mathieu Valbuena, the target of the blackmail attempt.
But an appeals court in Versailles, Paris, upheld an investigating magistrate s decision to lift the restrictions, allowing Benzema to be involved in the same national squad as Valbuena.
It remains to be seen if both players will be selected for the tournament France is hosting in June and July.
Good sense has won the day,” one of Benzema s lawyers Sylvain Cormier said.
France coach Didier Deschamps suspended Benzema (28) from the national team after he was placed under formal investigation over the affair in November.
Despite Friday s ruling, Benzema remains under investigation.
This is a first step, but we are working hard to show that Karim Benzema is innocent,” Cormier said.
The French Football Federation said the decision to lift the legal restrictions were a first step
Benzema, said to have approached Lyon playmaker Valbuena about the tape at a national team training camp in October, remains France s top striker. He has 27 goals in 81 appearances.
Lyon midfielder Valbuena said the sex images were on a mobile phone that was stolen from him.
According to investigators, Benzema was approached by a childhood friend from Lyon, Karim Zenati, who asked him to persuade Valbuena to pay money to have the tape destroyed.
Instead, Valbuena went to the police.
Three men were arrested and held in custody over the demands to Valbuena, but were subsequently released.
Benzema has denied any wrongdoing, but could face a fiveyear jail term if found guilty.
His coach at Real Madrid, France s three-time world player of the year Zinedine Zidane, said he wants the affair cleared up as soon as possible
Benzema remains a key player at Real although injury prevented him playing this week in the Champions League victory over Roma.
Valbuena, on the other hand, has suffered for form and fitness since signing for Benzema s old club Lyon last summer.
He may struggle to make the France squad.
France kick off Euro 2016 against Romania on June 10.