Karim Benzema faces trial for blackmailing

player,

, will face trial following his involvement in blackmailing

star,

. Benzema, who has been accused of trying to extort money from his fellow countryman for a sex tape in which Valbuena was involved, will be brought into the court in an unspecified date, as told by

AFP

.

Benzema’s lawyer talked about his client’s case, saying:

"The decision to try him is absurd and is unfair cruelty.”

"Benzema has nothing to be ashamed of in this case."

Valbuena's lawyer told 

L'Equipe

that the reason for going to trial is

"the logical continuation of the instruction which perfectly established the participation of the various people".

Benzema has also talked about the accusations over the years, claiming that Valbuena is trying to drag his name "through the mud".

In 2017 He told

L’Equipe

:

"He said he would not have lodged a complaint if he knew I was involved in the story. For more than a year and a half I'm his worst enemy, a bad guy, a thug, I have to be punished, dragged through the mud, my name and that of my family, in the dirt.”

"It has been almost two years since I was forbidden to see my best friend [Karim Zenati], if not we go to prison, and he is quiet, but he must stop his crap, and I do not know why he keeps talking about me already.”

"[Saying] I am his enemy, I wanted to take money from him... he really has to stop inventing, it makes me mad to keep on lying.”

"He just had to tell the truth about what really happened, and he would not have had all of this."

Since the accusations, Benzema has been not involved in any of

international team’s games.

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