Real Madrid star striker Karim Benzema was accused Thursday of blackmailing¹ fellow French international Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape and both players were omitted from the national squad².

来自皇家马德里队的射手本泽马近日卷入了一起性爱录像敲诈案,这也使得他和法国国家队队友瓦尔布埃纳一起被排除出国家队名单。

A French judge has placed Benzema under formal investigation³ and is examining the striker's possible role in alleged⁴ attempts to extort⁵ money from Valbuena, said a spokeswoman for the Versilles prosecutor's office.

凡尔赛检察官办公室的一名官员表示，法国的一家法院已经正式受理该案，并对本泽马是否参与试图向瓦尔布埃纳勒索钱财进行调查。

According to a statement from the Versailles prosecutor's office, Benzema is under investigation for "complicity in blackmailing and participating in criminal association with intent to organize a crime."

据凡尔赛检察官办公室当日发表的声明称，本泽马被起诉的罪名是“涉嫌合谋敲诈，以及参与犯罪团伙有意图的组织犯罪”。

The 27-year-old Real forward, as AFP reported, has admitted approaching Valbuena about the sex tape "on behalf of a childhood friend" who himself had been contacted by blackmailers.

据AFP报道，这位27岁的皇马前锋，已经承认了他就性爱录像带话题接触瓦尔布埃纳是“受一名儿时好友之托”，而这位童年小伙伴与敲诈案嫌犯有直接接触。

If convicted, Benzema would serve up to five years. He was also banned from meeting the 31-year-old Valbuena, a midfielder playing for Ligue 1's Lyon.

如果指控成立，本泽马将会被判入狱五年。他现在同时也被禁止与31岁的法甲里昂中场大将瓦尔布埃纳进行接触。

Benzema's lawyer Sylvain Cormier, however, said the player was innocent and "has admitted nothing at all."

然而本泽马的律师高米耶始终坚持自己的当事人是“完全清白的”，并表示，“他和那件案子毫无瓜葛”。

Just an hour after Benzema was charged, France coach Didier Deschamps said he was leaving both players out of his squad for friendly internationals against Germany on November 13 and England on 17.

而短短一小时后，法国国家队主教练德尚也宣布这两名球员都将无缘本月13日和17日法国队分别对阵德国队和英格兰队的国际友谊赛。

Benzema has represented his country on 81 occasions and was a key part of the squad for last year's World Cup in Brazil.

本泽马到目前为止已经为国家队出场81次，并且是去年法国队征战巴西世界杯的重要球员。