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Reuters

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Reuters

PARIS, (Reuters) – Karim Benzema, who is under investigation for alleged blackmailing, should not be called up to the France squad, French Prime minister Manuel Valls said on Tuesday.

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“If a minister was under formal investigation, they would not be in the government. In a way, it’s the same for the France team,”, Valls told Europe 1 radio.

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Real Madrid striker Benzema was put under formal judicial investigation last month in connection with an alleged attempt to blackmail Olympique Lyonnais forward Valbuena with the use of a sex video.

Both players were omitted by coach Didier Deschamps when he picked his squad for friendlies against Germany and England last month.

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Benzema has been forbidden by a prosecutor to be in contact with the people linked to the investigation.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot. Editing by Patrick Johnston)

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Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is EssentiallySports’ foremost authority on motorsport and a founding member of the outlet’s NASCAR desk. A Journalism graduate fluent in English and French, he brings over eight years of motorsports journalism experience covering everything from high-octane NASCAR battles to the finesse of Formula 1 and MotoGP. His extensive paddock access has earned him exclusive interviews with top names such as F1’s Pierre Gasly and Moto2’s Tony Arbolino, cementing his reputation as a trusted voice among racing fans. Known for his candid opinions, Dhruv isn’t afraid to tackle contentious officiating calls, most recently defending Joey Logano after the DYL penalty in Phoenix. Before focusing on NASCAR as a Senior Writer, Dhruv contributed extensively to EssentiallySports’ coverage of F1 and NASCAR, building a versatile and impactful sports portfolio.

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