Associated Press

Karim Benzema will face trial in October for his alleged involvement in blackmailing former France teammate Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape, the Versailles prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.

Benzema will stand trial on the charge of complicity in attempted blackmail, an accusation for which he denies any wrongdoing.

The Real Madrid striker is suspected of pressuring Valbuena in 2015 to pay blackmailers who threatened to reveal an intimate video in which Valbuena featured.

Benzema, the most talented French forward of his generation, has been banned from the national team since November 2015 because of his suspected involvement in the scandal.

Investigators believe Benzema was approached by a childhood friend to convince Valbuena to deal directly with the blackmailers, instead, Valbuena informed the police.