Benzema may play for France in Euro 2016 after court lifts ban

France and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema should be able to play in the Euro 2016 football tournament after legal restrictions placed on him over his alleged involvement in a sex-tape blackmail case were lifted Friday, his lawyers said. He would be playing alongside Mathieu Valbuena, the alleged victim in the case.

Karim Benzema playing for Real Madrid. Reuters/Juan Medina

An appeal court in Versailles, near Paris, confirmed a lower court's partial lifting of restrictions of Benzema coming into contact with Valbuena, the striker's lawyer, Sylvain Cormier, said after the hearing.

Benzema was charged with "complicity in a blackmail attempt" in November with prosecutors suspecting him of working with individuals who were alleged to be in possession of a sex-tape video involving Valbuena and trying to extort money from him.

Cormier hailed Friday's ruling as a "first step" in his fight to prove his client's innocence.

In December French football federation president Noël Le Graët declared that Benzema could not be picked to play in any matches, including Euro 2016 which takes place in June and July, unless there was progress in the case.