Valbuena talks about blackmail case: I don’t hate Benzema, but we will definitely not go on vacation together

October 10th: In an interview with RMC, former French international footballer Valbuena talked about the sex video blackmail case and his relationship with Benzema.

Valbuena was a French international and played 52 times for the French national team. However, he was secretly filmed and blackmailed in a sex video in 2015. At that time, Benzema also served as an intermediary to assist the blackmailer in passing a message to Valbuena. In the end, the police arrested four suspects, one of whom was a relative of Benzema. Although Valbuena was a victim, his career with the French national team was still affected, and Benzema was subsequently omitted from the French national team.

Valbuena first said: "It was a difficult time, which cost me the opportunity to represent the French national team. I was never called up to the French national team again. I would rather have been dropped from the national team due to poor performance than to leave like this. But this is life... things have happened, and now these are in the past."

Then Valbuena pointed out: "In this incident, I feel sorry for those who want to The guy who made me pay for a video filed a lawsuit. I immediately said that they would not get even 1 euro. I stood by my beliefs and these people wanted to hurt me, but I never compromised, no matter what the content of the video was. "

Although Benzema has always claimed that he is innocent, Benzema was sentenced to one year in prison with a suspended sentence by the Versailles Criminal Court in France in November 2021 for conspiracy to commit attempted blackmail. In addition, he was fined 75,000 euros. Benzema initially appealed, but eventually withdrew his appeal and accepted the verdict.

The reporter asked Valbuena what his current relationship with Benzema is and whether the two have been in contact since then. Valbuena replied: "There is no connection. I really don't hold a grudge against him, everyone has their own life. If I met Benzema again would I talk to him? I don't know, but I don't hold a grudge against him and I don't want to hurt anyone. I wish him happiness in his family life and in his football career. I know what happened at the time. Of course, what is certain is that we will not go on vacation together."