SAN FRANCISCO, 10, (THEWILL) – Zinedine Zidane, manager of La Liga giants Real Madrid, has thrown his full weight behind Los Blancos forward, Karim Benzema, after the French striker was implicated by prosecutors in France in a conspiracy to blackmail an ex-France teammate Matthieu Valbuena in a sex tape case.
Benzema, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, is accused by investigators to have encouraged Valbuena to settle with blackmailers so the tape involved would not be publicly released.
On Thursday, French prosecutors announced that the 33-year-old will be tried for his alleged part in the case that dates back to 2015 and for which he has questions to answer.
Ahead of Madrid’s trip to Navarre for Saturday’s La Liga fixture against Osasuna, their manager expressed the extent of his support for his sharpshooter. Zidane, who had to temporarily self-isolate after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19, said:
“I support him completely, these aren’t easy situations. I can see that he’s well, that he’s not thinking about that and he’s focused on the job at hand here.
“It’s a tough situation and I hope that for everyone’s sake it can be solved soon. He’s working hard, which is what he enjoys doing and he wants to make everyone happy.”
In the post-Ronaldo period of life at Madrid, Benzema has truly come into his own and has become instrumental to the success at the club especially in the style of Zidane’s game. His goals last season and general team input helped Los Blancos to another La Liga trophy when the season resumed after the Lockdowns.
Also, this season, he has netted eight times in 15 La Liga games as Real look to chase down table toppers Atletico in the defense of their title. Presently, after missing the opportunity to temporarily seize the top spot because of their deadlocked draw at Osasuna, they sit second, two points behind their city rivals who have played two games less.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
