The Judge handed Benzema a one-year suspended jail term and ordered him to pay a £63,000 fine.

The 33-year-old was one of the five put up for last, last month in an attempt to extort France international teammate Mathieu Valbuena.

The news went viral in the football world as both players lost their place in France’s national team.

What happened to Karim Benzema?

The case dates backk to 5 years ago, just before a friendly match against Armenia, Benzema had played a role in Valbuena being blackmailed over a sex tape.

The Real Madrid striker had denied the allegations and insists he was trying to help his teammate get out of the situation.

However, four of Benzema’s conspirators in the trial were found guilty on Wednesday. They were handed jail sentences ranging from 18 months suspended to two-and-a-half years in prison.

Benzema’s lawyers said they would appeal his conviction. “The reaction is ultimately an angry one to this judgment which is perfectly contradictory,” his lawyer, Sylvain Cormier, told reporters outside court according to BBC.

Benzema made a surprise return to the French national team in May, five years after being exiled from the side when the allegations first surfaced in 2015.

But last month, the French soccer federation said a guilty verdict would not necessarily jeopardize Benzema’s position on the national team.