France midfielder Matieu Valbuena says he would line up in the same team as Karim Benzema again despite the Real Madrid striker’s ongoing blackmail case against him.
Benzema was charged in the autumn after revelations he was involved in trying to extort money from Valbuena to get rid of a sex tape that featured the Lyon man.
The French FA has said it will not consider Benzema for selection for the national side until the outcome of the case. But speaking to TV1, Valbuena said he would not have an issue with playing alongside Benzema at the Euros in the summer, which take place in France.
“We will see how it goes, but yes, no problem, anything is possible. It wasn’t like it was a murder,” he commented.
The playmaker admitted he was angry at being dropped from the French side in November for the games against Germany and England when the story first emerged. Boss Didier Deschamps said the decision not to pick Valbuena and Benzema was so there would be no distractions.
And Vabuena says he now understands the reasoning.
“It was hard to accept. At the time I was angry because I was the victim and was penalised twice…Looking back, I now understand his decision. 2015 is behind me now. It’s time to move on,” he commented.
