France striker Karim Benzema has been found guilty of conspiring to blackmail a fellow French footballer with a sex tape.

Benzema was given a one-year suspended jail term and ordered to pay a €75,000 (£63,000; $84,000) fine in Wednesday’s ruling.

The Real Madrid striker, 33, was one of five people put on trial last month over the attempt to blackmail and extort Frenchman Mathieu Valbuena.

The ensuing scandal shocked the football community in France and cost both players their national team places.

The case dates back to June 2015, when the two footballers were at a French training camp.

Prosecutors say Benzema put pressure on Valbuena to pay off the blackmailers, whom he had conspired with to act as an intermediary.

Benzema has always denied the allegations and insisted he was only trying to help Valbuena get rid of the compromising video.

The player has since returned to the France team and is expected to start for Real Madrid on Wednesday night when they play FC Sheriff Tiraspol in the Champions League.

Benzema was not present in court in Versailles for the verdict, nor was Valbuena who plays for Greek club Olympiakos.