Paul Pogba’s brother and five others to stand trial in extortion case

By Samuel Petrequin, Associated Press

A brother of World Cup winner and former Manchester United star 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.

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

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 from the France midfielder, and repeatedly intimidated him, claiming he did not support them after he became an international football star.

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

During the investigation, Paul 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 Mbappe.

Paul Pogba denied the allegation.

A lawyer for Mathias Pogba did not respond to a message seeking comment.

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

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

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

Earlier this year, he was banned for the maximum four years by Italy’s anti-doping court after testing positive for testosterone while at Juventus.

He has appealed to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Paul Pogba was known for his versatility, physicality and eye for goal.

When he returned to Manchester United in 2016, the club paid Juventus a then world-record transfer fee of €105 million.

Paul Pogba rejoined Juventus in 2022 but then struggled with injuries, and was ruled out of France’s run to the 2022 World Cup final because of a knee injury.

He helped France win the previous World Cup, scoring in the 4-2 win over Croatia in the final.