PARIS — The trial of six men, including Paul Pogba’s brother, Mathias Pogba, commenced on Tuesday in a Paris court, focusing on an extortion scheme against the renowned soccer player that unfolded two years ago.
Paul Pogba, who previously played for Manchester United and Juventus, opted not to attend the proceedings, which are anticipated to last for a week. A judge ruled that the six defendants should face trial after a thorough investigation suggested that Mathias Pogba and some old friends had targeted his brother for extortion.
The prosecution has charged Mathias Pogba with attempted extortion and criminal conspiracy. Alongside him, the other five men, whose identities are partially withheld, allegedly aimed to extract 13 million euros (approximately $13.6 million) from Paul Pogba. The group reportedly pressured him, asserting that he owed them support since achieving success on the international stage.
The accusations against the group include extortion and attempted extortion, with elements of using violence, abduction, and confinement as means to commit their alleged crimes, in addition to conspiring together.
Defense attorneys Yves Leberquier and Karim Morand-Lahouazi reportedly urged the court on Tuesday to bring in Paul Pogba for questioning. In the course of the investigation, the midfielder disclosed that he had given 100,000 euros to the group, which includes his brother. French media has reported that Pogba informed investigators that the group sought to undermine his credibility by alleging he had solicited the help of a witch doctor to cast a spell on his teammate Kylian Mbappé, a claim Pogba has firmly denied.
The case drew public attention when Mathias Pogba took to social media to threaten to release “explosive” information about his sibling, Mbappé, and the former player’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta. Mathias, also a soccer player, spent the majority of his career with lower-tier teams across Europe.
Once regarded as one of the elite midfielders globally, Paul Pogba has garnered more media attention for his personal troubles in recent years than his on-field prowess. Earlier this month, Juventus announced a mutual agreement to terminate Pogba’s contract, following a reduction in his doping ban from four years to 18 months. The organization had shown a lackluster enthusiasm about reinstating him after the appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Pogba, who will be eligible to return to professional play in March, expressed willingness to forfeit his earnings to rejoin Juventus. He tested positive for testosterone in August of the previous year, leading to maximum sanctions from Italy’s anti-doping authorities.
However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport acknowledged a lack of intent in his positive test, attributing it to an error in consuming a supplement prescribed by a physician in Florida. Pogba’s contract with Juventus was originally set to run until June 2026.
In 2016, he became the most expensive soccer player in history at the time after transferring from Juventus to Manchester United for a fee of 105 million euros. He played a pivotal role in France’s World Cup victory in 2018 and made his way back to Juventus as a free agent in 2022. Unfortunately, injuries limited him to just eight appearances in Serie A during his second term at the club before the doping ban interrupted his career.