Six men connected to Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba are set to go on trial Tuesday in Paris, facing charges of blackmail, attempted extortion, and holding the player at gunpoint.
The case, which has rocked the French football community, is particularly shocking as it involves three of Pogba’s childhood friends and his own brother, Mathias Pogba.
The trial comes at a difficult time for Paul Pogba, who is currently grappling with professional challenges. Juventus recently canceled his contract following his suspension until March 2025 due to a doping violation.
The six accused men are alleged to have attempted to extort €13 million ($13.5 million) from Pogba. The case gained public attention in August 2022 when Mathias Pogba released a video on social media, promising “explosive” revelations about his younger brother. In a later video, Mathias accused Paul of casting an evil spell on his France teammate, Kylian Mbappé.
Paul Pogba’s legal team, including his agent Rafaela Pimenta, later stated that the videos were part of a larger pattern of threats and extortion attempts. Paul had already filed criminal complaints in both Italy and France in July 2022.
‘Tricked by childhood friends’
In his testimony to French investigators, Pogba revealed that in March 2022, he had been “tricked by childhood friends” from the rough Paris suburb where he and Mathias grew up. He accused them of abducting him and holding him at gunpoint with two hooded men armed with assault rifles. The men allegedly demanded €13 million for “services rendered,” accusing Pogba of not financially supporting them.
Pogba claimed that he had already paid them €100,000 and that he was pressured for money at multiple locations, including the France national team’s training center in Clairefontaine, one of his homes in Manchester, and Juventus’ training ground. Additionally, he said he had paid a €57,000 bill run up by his friends at an Adidas store on Paris’ famous Champs-Élysées.
Paul Pogba’s lawyer, Pierre-Jean Douvier, declined to comment ahead of the trial.
Denial of allegations
The accused men have all denied the charges. Karim Morand-Lahouazi, a lawyer representing one of the accused, stated that the men had a friendly relationship with Pogba, involving casual chats and joking, and that Pogba may have offered them financial assistance.
A police summary of the case, obtained by AFP, describes Pogba’s childhood friends and acquaintances as a “criminal team” seeking to extort €13 million from the player after he cut them off financially in early 2022. The accused men claim they too were victims of the hooded men who allegedly held Pogba at gunpoint, though these men have never been identified.
Five of the accused face charges of extortion, kidnapping, and forming a criminal gang. Mathias Pogba, who was not present when his brother was allegedly abducted, is accused of attempting to extort money from Paul and his family to ensure the €13 million payment. Mathias’s lawyer, Mbeko Tabula, has stated he will not comment until the conclusion of the trial.
AFP
