Karim Benzema's life is like a Netflix series.
Sex scandals, blackmail and "big, big, thugs" - no one does drama like him.
As the Balon d'Or winner leaves Real Madrid, this is the scandalous story of Karim Benzema...
We begin in 2009, when Karim returns home to Lyon to star in an advert for the new FIFA.
According to staff on set, 2 teenagers heckle Karim, and he invites them backstage.
They're expecting his autograph, but instead Karim's bodyguards hold them down while he pummels them. https://t.co/tO448IB7rZ
He breaks into the French national side aged 20, alongside the likes of Eric Abidal and Thierry Henry.
When the older players tease Benzema in training, he tells them: "Do not laugh, I'm here to take your place."
But he grows closer to the younger players.
Much closer...
Along with Franck Ribery and Hatem Ben Arfa, Karim becomes a regular at Zaman Cafe, a seedy Parisian brothel in a shopping mall.
The players take a particular shine to a young blonde escort named Zahia Dehar.
Ribery even flies her to Munich as a "birthday present to himself".
In 2009, Karim joins Real Madrid, leaving the cosy confines of Zaman Cafe behind.
But he struggles to impress in the Spanish capital, and spends most of the season on the bench.
Then, in April 2010, disaster strikes.
Police raid Zaman Cafe...
After rounding up the pimps, punters and prostitutes, police name Benzema as one of four France players who slept with Zahia Dehar.
And they reveal she was 16 at the time, making her underage in French law.
As the scandal rages, France drop Benzema for the World Cup.
On a sweltering summer's day in Paris, Ribery and Benzema are arrested and led away in handcuffs.
They admit to sleeping with Zahia but insist they didn't know she was underage.
It takes 4 years before a judge clears them.
A relieved Karim returns to the nightlife circuit, posting a picture captioned: "Bitches love Benzy".
After a scandal like that, you'd think Benzema would keep his head down.
Especially as he's leading the line for an all-conquering Real Madrid side.
But when an old friend approaches Karim with a grubby scheme, he can't resist getting involved...
In 2015, Benzema's childhood friend Karim Zaneti calls to explain he's got a sex tape featuring France star Mathieu Valbuena.
He's planning to blackmail the winger, and asks Benzema for help.
The Real Madrid striker is caught on tape telling Zaneti, "Don't worry, he will pay."
After lights out at a French training camp, Valbuena is winding down with a chocolat chaud in bed, when there's a knock at his bedroom door.
It's Karim Benzema.
The nervy striker urges Valbuena to pay the blackmailers, telling him "Be careful Math, they are big, big thugs".
But Valbuena refuses to pay out for his own dick pics, and goes to the police instead.
The story is a media sensation, and even French President Francois Hollande wades in to brand Benzema "morally, not an example".
He's dropped from the squad for Euro 2016.
As half of France turns against him, a newspaper falsely accuses Benzema of dabbling in drug trafficking and money laundering.
Karim threatens to sue them over the witch hunt.
His place in the France side is taken by Olivier Giroud, who leads the line in a glorious era for Les Blues.
It peaks with victory at the 2018 World Cup, but Benzema isn't impressed.
Asked to compare himself to Giroud, he replies "You can't confuse an F1 car with a go-kart".
And Giroud isn't the only teammate he falls out with...
In 2020 he's caught on camera telling his Real Madrid teammates not to pass to Vinicius Junior.
"Don't pass him the ball bro. On my mother's life, Vini is playing against us", he tells Ferland Mendy.
But while his international exile continues, Karim has better luck in other areas.
He stars in a gilt-edged Real Madrid side that win three consecutive Champions Leagues.
And he hooks up with American model Jordan Ozuna, who used to work as a waitress at Hooters in Las Vegas.
In 2021, after a 6 year legal saga, Karim is charged with blackmailing Mathieu Valbuena over his sex tape.
Surprisingly, Didier Deschamps picks that moment to give Karim a recall to the French team.
It doesn't stop a judge handing him a one year suspended prison sentence.
12 months later, Benzema wins the Balon d'Or while dressed as his hero 2Pac.
But Deschamps sends him home on the eve of the Qatar World Cup, claiming he's injured.
A furious Karim responds by posting a video saying "Liar! Yes, you, liar", and captions it "Sacred Didier 🤡".
If you like sordid scandals, you’ll love our football scandals special.
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Karim Benzema's life is like a Netflix series.
Sex scandals, blackmail and "big, big, thugs" - no one does drama like him.
As the Balon d'Or winner leaves Real Madrid, this is the scandalous story of Karim Benzema... We begin in 2009, when Karim returns home to Lyon to star in an advert for the new FIFA.
According to staff on set, 2 teenagers heckle Karim, and he invites them backstage.
They're expecting his autograph, but instead Karim's bodyguards hold them down while he pummels them. https://t.co/tO448IB7rZHe breaks into the French national side aged 20, alongside the likes of Eric Abidal and Thierry Henry.
When the older players tease Benzema in training, he tells them: "Do not laugh, I'm here to take your place."
But he grows closer to the younger players.
Much closer... Along with Franck Ribery and Hatem Ben Arfa, Karim becomes a regular at Zaman Cafe, a seedy Parisian brothel in a shopping mall.
The players take a particular shine to a young blonde escort named Zahia Dehar.
Ribery even flies her to Munich as a "birthday present to himself". In 2009, Karim joins Real Madrid, leaving the cosy confines of Zaman Cafe behind.
But he struggles to impress in the Spanish capital, and spends most of the season on the bench.
Then, in April 2010, disaster strikes.
Police raid Zaman Cafe... After rounding up the pimps, punters and prostitutes, police name Benzema as one of four France players who slept with Zahia Dehar.
And they reveal she was 16 at the time, making her underage in French law.
As the scandal rages, France drop Benzema for the World Cup. On a sweltering summer's day in Paris, Ribery and Benzema are arrested and led away in handcuffs.
They admit to sleeping with Zahia but insist they didn't know she was underage.
It takes 4 years before a judge clears them. A relieved Karim returns to the nightlife circuit, posting a picture captioned: "Bitches love Benzy". After a scandal like that, you'd think Benzema would keep his head down.
Especially as he's leading the line for an all-conquering Real Madrid side.
But when an old friend approaches Karim with a grubby scheme, he can't resist getting involved... In 2015, Benzema's childhood friend Karim Zaneti calls to explain he's got a sex tape featuring France star Mathieu Valbuena.
He's planning to blackmail the winger, and asks Benzema for help.
The Real Madrid striker is caught on tape telling Zaneti, "Don't worry, he will pay." After lights out at a French training camp, Valbuena is winding down with a chocolat chaud in bed, when there's a knock at his bedroom door.
It's Karim Benzema.
The nervy striker urges Valbuena to pay the blackmailers, telling him "Be careful Math, they are big, big thugs". But Valbuena refuses to pay out for his own dick pics, and goes to the police instead.
The story is a media sensation, and even French President Francois Hollande wades in to brand Benzema "morally, not an example".
He's dropped from the squad for Euro 2016. As half of France turns against him, a newspaper falsely accuses Benzema of dabbling in drug trafficking and money laundering.
Karim threatens to sue them over the witch hunt. His place in the France side is taken by Olivier Giroud, who leads the line in a glorious era for Les Blues.
It peaks with victory at the 2018 World Cup, but Benzema isn't impressed.
Asked to compare himself to Giroud, he replies "You can't confuse an F1 car with a go-kart". And Giroud isn't the only teammate he falls out with...
In 2020 he's caught on camera telling his Real Madrid teammates not to pass to Vinicius Junior.
"Don't pass him the ball bro. On my mother's life, Vini is playing against us", he tells Ferland Mendy. But while his international exile continues, Karim has better luck in other areas.
He stars in a gilt-edged Real Madrid side that win three consecutive Champions Leagues.
And he hooks up with American model Jordan Ozuna, who used to work as a waitress at Hooters in Las Vegas. In 2021, after a 6 year legal saga, Karim is charged with blackmailing Mathieu Valbuena over his sex tape.
Surprisingly, Didier Deschamps picks that moment to give Karim a recall to the French team.
It doesn't stop a judge handing him a one year suspended prison sentence. 12 months later, Benzema wins the Balon d'Or while dressed as his hero 2Pac.
But Deschamps sends him home on the eve of the Qatar World Cup, claiming he's injured.
A furious Karim responds by posting a video saying "Liar! Yes, you, liar", and captions it "Sacred Didier 🤡". If you like sordid scandals, you’ll love our football scandals special.
From Phil Foden's mum fighting at a hen do to Trent's sexting adventures, sign up below and we'll instantly send you the full stories.
Join 100,000+ subs:
https://t.co/dds7B88rHE
