March 14 – Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema (pictured) will technically be eligible to play for France at Euro 2016 after certain legal restrictions were lifted in the sex tape blackmail investigation that has rocked French football.
Benzema is being probed for his part in an alleged plot to blackmail national team-mate Mathieu Valbuena. He was initially not allowed to contact Valbuena, meaning they could not be in the same squad, but an appeals court has partially lifted some of these terms.
Currently injured, Benzema was suspended by France in December, a ban that had been due to remain until the end of court proceedings.
An investigating judge last month lifted the order keeping Benzema and Lyon playmaker Valbuena apart, but the prosecutor appealed. That was dismissed on Friday. If found guilty, Benzema could face a minimum of five years in prison but his lawyer, Sylvain Cormier, described the latest ruling as “a first step” in proving the striker’s innocence.
The 27-year-old has scored 27 goals in 81 appearances for his country but there is no guarantee the investigation will be completed before the country hosts Euro 2016 in June.
According to French media, Benzema mentioned the tape to Lyon midfielder Valbuena during a national team training session at Clairefontaine on October 5. Benzema told police he was simply advising a friend about what to do in a difficult situation. France’s next scheduled fixture is a friendly against the Netherlands on March 25.
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