Benzema will not be expelled from the French national team, regardless of the court decision

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema will not be expelled from the French national football team for any outcome in court, where he stands accused in a case for alleged complicity in an attempt to blackmail former teammate Mathieu Valbuena, French Football Federation head Noel Le Graet said. …

The Benzema trial is taking place in France. Earlier, prosecutors said they are demanding a 10-month suspended sentence for Benzema for alleged complicity in the blackmail of Valbuena. In May 2021, Benzema was called up to the French national team for the first time since the scandal and took part in UEFA EURO 2020.

Read also

“Will there be any sports sanctions against Benzema after the trial? No. He will not be expelled due to possible court sanctions. Even if you are sentenced to a suspended sentence, you have the right to appeal against him.”

Therefore, the question of whether he will receive a call to matches in the coming months or not will not depend on the lawsuit “, – quotes the words of Le Grae AS with reference to Le Parisien.

“I will never intervene to say that we are not taking Benzem into the national team. And then (France head coach) Didier Deschamps will have to decide whether he is the right fit for the team from a sporting point of view,” he added.

Benzema was taken into custody by the Versailles police on November 4, 2015, and on November 5, 2015, he was charged with complicity in an attempt to blackmail Valbuena with an intimate video.

In addition, the striker was then suspended from playing for the French national team, which is why he missed the 2016 European championship at home.

Source: BBC