Trial set to begin for six accused in Paul Pogba blackmail case

The trial of six individuals close to football star Paul Pogba opens this Tuesday, November 26, at the Paris court. Among the accused is Mathias Pogba, the elder brother of the 2018 World Cup winner with the French national team. All are charged with attempting to extort the player in March 2022.

According to Paul Pogba, he was held captive in an apartment in the Paris region by armed men demanding €13 million as payment for alleged protection provided since the start of his career. The group reportedly included childhood friends and Mathias Pogba, who is alleged to have played a key role in the incident.

Videos posted by Mathias Pogba on social media, accusing his brother of failing to fulfill commitments to his family, drew investigators’ attention and reignited the case.

The trial, expected to last several weeks, sheds light on deep tensions within the footballer’s inner circle. Currently sidelined due to injury, Paul Pogba watches as his former confidants face charges that could lead to sentences of up to 20 years in prison.

Pogba tested positive for testosterone in August last year and the Juventus midfielder was handed the maximum punishment by Italy’s anti-doping court.

But CAS judges cut Pogba’s ban as they acknowledged a lack of intent and said his positive test was the result of erroneously taking a supplement prescribed to him by a medical doctor in Florida.

Pogba’s contract with Juventus was set to expire in June 2026.

“My time at Juventus has come to an end. It has been a privilege to pull on the shirt of the Bianconeri and to share so many special memories together,” Pogba said in a statement.

“I cherish the memories we made. They live on. Even in the most difficult moments over the past year, your support was crucial and I want to thank Juve fans around the world for their compassion.”

Pogba was the most expensive soccer player in history when he joined Manchester United from Juventus for a fee of 105 million euros ($113 million) in 2016.

He starred in France’s World Cup triumph in 2018 and returned to Juventus as a free agent in 2022. But injuries limited him to just eight Serie A appearances in his second spell at the club before his ban last year.

“I am looking forward to the next chapter of my career and to stepping out on the pitch with my next club,” Pogba added.