November 11- Real Madrid’s French international striker Karim Benzema, placed under formal investigation in connection with an alleged sex tape blackmail plot, is to take legal action after a French radio station published extracts of phone taps that could incriminate him, according to his lawyer.
Benzema is suspected of being involved in an alleged attempt to blackmail fellow French football international Mathieu Valbuena using a sex video.
Both he and his lawyer, sylvain Cornier, have said on numerous occasions that the striker is totally innocent and “played no part in any blackmail or attempted blackmail”.
Announcing legal action against Europe 1, Cormier said: “We’re done playing now and we are announcing that we will file a complaint for violation of judicial confidentiality.”
According to French media, Benzema mentioned the tape to Valbuena during a national team training session at Clairefontaine in early October. French coach Didier Deschamps has left both players out of his squad for prestige upcoming friendlies against Germany and England later this month.