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regular-article-logo Sunday, 13 October 2024

Paul Pogba’s brother to stand trial in extortion case involving France football star

The prosecutor's office said Mathias Pogba, 34, was ordered to stand trial 'for the offences of attempted extortion and criminal conspiracy'.

Our Bureau Paris Published 12.09.24, 10:42 AM
Paul Pogba and brother Mathias Pogba

Paul Pogba and brother Mathias Pogba Sourced by the Telegraph

A brother of World Cup winner Paul Pogba will stand trial with five other men as part of an extortion case that targeted the footballer two years ago, the Paris prosecutor's office said Tuesday.

A judge ordered the six men to appear before a court following an investigation into whether Pogba was the target of extortion by his brother, Mathias Pogba, and childhood friends, the office said.

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The prosecutor's office said Mathias Pogba, 34, was ordered to stand trial “for the offences of attempted extortion and criminal conspiracy."

The court date has not been announced.

The five others — identified by their first names only — allegedly demanded €13 million ($14.3 million) from the France midfielder, and repeatedly intimidated him, claiming he didn't support them after he became an international star.

They are accused of extortion and attempted extortion by using violence, abduction and confinement to facilitate a crime or misdemeanor, as well as criminal conspiracy.

During the investigation, Pogba said he paid €100,000 to the organised group including his brother. According to French media reports, the 31-year-old player also told investigators the alleged extortionists wanted to discredit him by claiming he asked a witch doctor to cast a spell on teammate Kylian Mbappé. Pogba denied the allegation.

The case became public after Mathias posted threats on social media to share “explosive” revelations about his brother, Paul's agent Rafaela Pimenta, and Mbappé.

Mathias was also a footballer who spent most of his career with lower-tier teams in Europe.

Once one of the world's top midfielders, Pogba has made headlines more often for his off-field problems than for his brilliance on the field in recent years.

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