Forward Karim Benzema “will not be excluded” from the French national team if found guilty in the criminal proceedings over the alleged blackmail case involving a former teammate, French Football Federation president Noël Le Graët said in an interview with Le Parisien newspaper.
“The coach will always be responsible for his selection and Benzema will not be excluded due to a possible court sanction,” Noël Le Graët told the French publication.
“Even if he receives a conditional prison sentence, he has the possibility to file an appeal. Therefore, his decision, or not, in the coming months, will not be linked to that sentence,” added French football manager on the Real Madrid striker .
“I will never intervene so that he is not summoned. So, it’s up to Didier (Deschamps, France coach) to consider whether, in sport, he is fit to play for the national team”, added the FFF president.
Karim Benzema, 33, rejoined France last May after a five-year absence.
On November 24, the Versailles Court will issue a decision on the case of an alleged blackmail attempt involving the release of images with sexual content involving midfielder Mathieu Valbuena, former teammate of Benzema.
According to the indictment, Valbuena would have been threatened with seeing the disclosed content, taken from the player’s cell phone, if he did not pay a sum to the blackmailers, one of whom was an acquaintance of Benzema, who would have given guidance on how to negotiate with the midfielder.
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