Six men, including Paul Pogba’s own brother, Mathias Pogba, are set to stand trial on Tuesday at the Paris criminal court, facing charges of blackmail, attempted extortion of millions of euros, and holding the French football star at gunpoint. The case has shocked the football world, with three of the accused being childhood friends of Pogba.
This trial adds to the mounting troubles surrounding Pogba, whose career has been marred by injuries and off-field controversies since France’s victory at the 2018 World Cup, where he scored in the final against Croatia. Pogba, whose career took a hit after his 2022 departure from Manchester United, returned to Juventus, but his time there has been plagued with injury setbacks. Recently, Juventus cancelled his contract following a doping suspension that will keep him sidelined until March 2025.
The six defendants are accused of attempting to extort 13 million euros (about $13.5 million) from Pogba, reportedly demanding the sum for “services rendered.” Mathias Pogba, Paul’s older brother, publicly revealed the allegations in a series of explosive social media videos in August 2022. In one of the videos, Mathias accused Paul of placing a spell on his France teammate, Kylian Mbappe. Paul Pogba’s legal team swiftly responded, stating that these videos were part of a broader scheme involving threats and extortion attempts.
Pogba filed criminal complaints in both Italy and France in July 2022, alleging that he had been tricked by childhood friends from his tough Parisian neighborhood. According to Pogba, these men, along with two others who held him at gunpoint, demanded 13 million euros from him. The players reportedly claimed that Pogba owed them money for “services” they had rendered, a claim Pogba vehemently denies. He stated that he had only paid them 100,000 euros.
Pogba also told investigators that the extortion attempts extended to multiple locations, including the national team’s training center in Clairefontaine, one of his homes in Manchester, and Juventus’ training ground. Additionally, he claimed to have been forced to pay a 57,000-euro bill that the group racked up at an Adidas store on the famous Champs-Elysées in Paris.
Reflecting on the emotional toll of these events, Pogba told Al-Jazeera, “It’s been really difficult for me off the pitch… it’s been especially hard mentally. Money changes people, it’s the truth, it can destroy a family, start a war.”
Ahead of the trial, Pogba’s lawyer, Pierre-Jean Douvier, declined to comment on the case. The accused men have all denied the allegations, with one of their lawyers, Karim Morand-Lahouazi, stating that they had a friendly relationship with Pogba and that “maybe Paul Pogba gave them a helping hand.”
The outcome of this high-profile trial will likely have lasting consequences for Pogba’s personal and professional life, adding yet another layer to the turmoil surrounding his football career.
