Layli Foroudi

VERSAILLES France, (Reuters) –France and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema were found guilty in Wednesday’s attempted blackmailing of a former international team mate. They received a sextape and were sentenced to a suspended one year term.

He was also penalized by the Versailles court at 75,000 Euros ($84,170). Mathieu Valbuena, his former teammate, received 80,000 euros as a payment to help cover legal expenses and to compensate for 150,000 euros damages.

Benzema’s lawyer stated that he will appeal the verdict.

Benzema denied wrongdoing and was not present in court. Later in the day, Benzema will play against Sheriff Tiraspol from Moldova.

Lawyer Antoine Vey said that “this outcome does not correspond with reality” and returned to reporters.

Real Madrid refused to comment.

Noel Le Graet (president of the French Football Federation) stated earlier this month that Benzema wouldn’t be expelled from the national team if he was convicted.

Le Graet stated to Le Parisien that Benzema would not be exempted from selection by the coach.

Prosecutors argued Benzema incentivize Valbuena’s payment to a group suspected of blackmailers to conceal the sexually explicit tape from public view.

The police claimed that Valbuena had received the first of many phone calls in which he threatened to expose the tape. This was June 2015. Valbuena said that it was obvious the caller demanded money, and that he was afraid for his job and position in the national squad.

The prosecution stated that Benzema was allegedly recruited by the blackmailers to help Valbuena pay for the stalled teammate.

The judges wrote that Benzema was not goodwill toward Valbuena but pretended to have his best interest at heart. They said that Benzema had “deliberately supported the authors” of Valbuena’s attempted blackmail.

Benzema as well Valbuena were both forced to leave the team by the scandal known simply as “sex tape”.

33-year-old Benzema has been recalled to France’s squad for the European Championship. He is a veteran of more than 90 games for his country.

Benzema had as co-defendants Karim Zenati, a childhood friend, who acted in an intermediary role, and Mustapha Zouaoui, one the victims of the fraud. The attempted blackmail was committed by all four defendants.