Karim Benzema Says Mathieu Valbuena 'Invented' Claims in Sex-Tape Scandal

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has criticised Mathieu Valbuena, saying the Lyon player fabricated claims surrounding the information of an ongoing sex-tape scandal.

Benzema has been left out of the France national team since being charged by police in connection with an alleged blackmail attempt targeting his Les Bleus team-mate.

Benzema said, per L’Equipe (h/t Get Football News France):

"Everything came from his story. We do not know the truth. On top of that, when I hear it said now that he is prepared to play with me again, that he is not annoyed at me… There is really something wrong with him! At the beginning, I was a thug, I threatened him, I scared him, he invented it all.

And now he says he wants to play with me again. He says that he would not have made a legal complaint had he known that I would end up in the middle of all this… Has he lost the plot or what? For more than a year-and-a-half I am his enemy, a bad example, a tramp, who needs to be sanctioned, with people dirtying my name. For nearly two years I have been barred from seeing my best friend (Karim Zenati), otherwise we go to prison, and he, he is just relaxing. He needs to stop this rubbish.".

As a result of the allegations, the Galacticos striker was left out of Euro 2016, and has remained an outcast in the international scene since the scandal was made public.

Valbuena continues to feature for his country. The case is yet to go to trial.