Stars und Sternchen! » ar contends Ribery flew h

PARIS -- Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema were acquitted on charges of soliciting an underage prostitute on Wednesday, ending a case that has lasted more than three years and tarnished both players reputation. The French judge ruled there wasnt enough proof the men were aware that self-described escort Zahia Dehar, now 21, was a minor at the time. The case has been hanging over the players since July 2010, when a French judge issued preliminary charges against them. Neither player was president as the criminal court announced the verdicts, but the relief and emotion got to Riberys lawyer, Carlo Alberto Brusa, who was in tears as he phoned the France star to tell him hed been cleared of all charges. "When you experience moments like that you get goose bumps, as he told me himself," Brusa told The Associated Press when asked how Ribery felt upon hearing the news. "He has an extraordinary character, and hes someone I respect a lot. I think its a victory, a victory for justice." The two footballers had faced up to three years in prison if found guilty. Dehar contends Ribery flew her to Munich as a birthday present to himself in 2009 when she was under 18. She says she lied to the players and told them she was an adult. Dehar was also not present at the trial. Although Ribery has admitted to having sex with Dehar, he claims he did not pay her and that he did not know she was a prostitute or a minor at the time. "We did a lot of work, serious work analyzing the file to establish the fact that there was no proof (that Ribery knew she was underage)," Brusa told the AP. Prostitution is legal in France, but prostitutes must be over 18. Benzemas lawyer Sylvain Cormier said he "could feel all the weight coming off, it was morally very trying." Cormier called the verdict "the end of a nightmare" for Benzema. "It was very painful for him. Hes a strong person, he really ipressed me. Four years is a very long time." Benzema has denied all the allegations. The 26-year-old Benzema is alleged to have paid 500 euros ($678) to have sex with Dehar in May 2008, the night he won the French player of the year award playing for his former club, Lyon. Dehar was 16 at the time. Ribery had the best season of his career in 2012-13, helping Bayern win the Bundesliga, the German Cup and Champions League. He finished third in the recent Ballon dOr vote behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. "Playing football with that weighing on you is not easy and for me its the sign of a great champion," Brusa said. "He showed in 2013 that hes a fantastic player." Benzema has passed the 100-goal mark for Madrid since joining the Spanish giant from Lyon in 2009. The criminal court trial had initially been set for last June but was adjourned for procedural reasons. It resumed last week. Ribery is alleged to have had sex with Dehar three times — including at the home of Kamel Ramdani, 39, one of several people who were on trial after a probe into a suspected network of prostitutes operating out of a nightclub called "Zaman Cafe" on Paris Champs-Elysees. The establishment was run by Georges Farhat, 30, who employed his younger brother, Elie Farhat, 26. Both were present to hear their verdicts. Georges was sentenced to 18 months in prison, nine of those suspended, and fined 20,000 euros ($27,150). His brother was handed a one-year prison sentence, with six months suspended and fined 5,000 euros ($6,800). Ramdani was sentenced to five months in jail and fined 5,000 euros ($6,800). Javon Wims Jersey . Simon (10-3) allowed three runs on five hits and three walks in 6 1-3 innings to break a tie with the Dodgers Zack Greinke and Cardinals Adam Wainwright for the NL lead in victories. 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Snedekers best result so far this year is a tie for eighth place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. He sits 113th in FedEx Cup standings and has dropped to 31st in world rankings — not the results expected from a player ranked fourth in the world only two years ago.LONDON -- Lukas Podolski scored twice as Arsenal came from a goal down to beat West Ham 3-1 in the Premier League on Tuesday and provisionally reclaim the last Champions League spot. Arsenal trailed to Matthew Jarvis 40th-minute opener, but Podolski equalized before the break and Arsenal dominated the second half. Olivier Giroud made amends for an earlier miss by showing off a delicate touch in the area to put Arsenal ahead in the 55th and Podolski finished off the win with another clinical strike in the 78th. Arsenal leapfrogged Everton into fourth place, although the Merseyside club is only one point behind with a game in hand. "It was a hard-fought win, but a very, very important one," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "The key was (to score) just before halftime. In the second half we controlled well the game." Coming off their penalty-shootout win against Wigan in the FA Cup semifinals on Saturday, Arsenal looked sluggish at the start. West Ham was the better team for the first 30 minutes, but when the opening goal came it was against the run of play following a period of sustained Arsenal pressure. Kim Kallstrom, making his first start for Arsenal since joining on loan in January, lost track of Antonio Nocerino down the right flank as the West Ham player broke into the area. Nocerinos shot was stopped by Wojciech Szczesny, but Jarvis was there to head in the rebound in a goalmouth scramble. Jarvis then could have earned a penalty shortly afterward when Bacary Sagna clearly clipped his legs in the area, but he stayed on his feet and the referee waved play on. "Im grateful for thhat," Wenger said about Jarvis staying on his feet.dddddddddddd "I dont think it was a penalty, but he touched him. Can you be too honest? Ill leave you that judgement." West Ham manager Sam Allardyce certainly thought so. "The facts are that when you stay on your feet the referees dont give penalties," Allardyce said. "When theres contact, you have to go down and make the referees mind up for him. Theres no reward for honesty." Arsenal responded shortly thereafter as Santi Cazorla found Podolski in the area and the Germany forward took one touch to create space before slotting a clinical finish inside the far post. Before that, Giroud had wasted Arsenals two best chances as the France striker couldnt make contact with Podolskis cross in the 14th, and then wasted a one-on-one opportunity in the 30th. Cazorla picked out Giroud that time as well, but the Frenchman went for finesse rather than power, trying to chip the ball with the outside of his boot past Adrian, but the goalkeeper palmed it away. Giroud made no mistake the next time, however, after Thomas Vermaelen picked him out with a long ball into the area. Giroud downed it with a perfect first touch and then slotted a shot between Adrians legs to put the hosts up for good. Arsenal kept pressing and the third goal came after Giroud broke down the left and sent a high pass in toward substitute Aaron Ramsey, who picked out Podolski with a header and the German blasted a high shot into the ne