Real Madrid's French striker Karim Benzema, who is accused of soliciting an under-age prostitute, has the backing of the Spanish giants, Real Madrid director general Jorge Valdano said yesterday.

"He feels he is innocent and he will seek to prove it in the courts. We back the player until the final consequences because we believe in his innocence," he said.

Benzema, 22, and his France international colleague Franck Ribery were both placed under investigation by a Paris magistrate on Tuesday as part of a probe into a prostitution ring linked to a Champs Elysees nightclub.
Ribery's brother-in-law was also charged, but all three men were later released. ufffd