Karim Benzema has no place in national team due to sex tape scandal, says French prime minister

The French Prime Minister joined in the criticism of Karim
Benzema on Tuesday, saying the Real Madrid striker "has no
place" on the France team at the European Championship in
the wake of a blackmail scandal involving teammate Mathieu
Valbuena.

Benzema is one of France's key players as it gets ready to
host the Euro 2016 tournament, but he faces allegations of
teaming up with a friend to extort money from teammate
Mathieu Valbuena using blackmail over a sex tape the Lyon
midfielder recorded.

His alleged active role in pressuring France teammate
Mathieu Valbuena has badly damaged his reputation and
could even earn him the sack at Real Madrid.
A great athlete should be exemplary," Prime Minister Manuel
Valls told French radio Europe 1. "If he is not, he has no
place within the France team."

The investigation, started when Valbuena took legal action
after being contacted by a man claiming to possess an
incriminating sex tape.

In a case that could drag on for months, Benzema's
involvement has not yet been fully determined. But
investigators who charged him in October believe he was
approached by a childhood friend to act as an intermediary
and convince Valbuena to deal directly with the black
mailers, it should be noted that Benzema in 2008 did the
same thing with Djibril Cisse over a sex tape.
"If a minister was handed preliminary charges, he would no
longer be part of the government," Valls said.
Benzema denies any wrongdoing but his arguments were
undermined last week when Valbuena spoke directly about
his attempts to pressure him in an interview with Le Monde
newspaper.

"There are so many kids, so many youngsters in our
suburbs that relate to great athletes," Valls said. "They wear
the blue jersey, the colors of France, which are so important
in these moments."

Benzema's laywer hit back at French prime minister Valls.
"So what's the prime minister doing about presumption of
innocence?" Alain Jakubowicz said on RTL radio. "This case
is being played out in the media in an absolutely scandalous
way, prompting the prime minister to express himself on a
case he knows absolutely nothing about. Who will it be
tomorrow? The president of France?"