ISLAMABAD
A Paris court on Thursday handed Mathias Pogba, the elder brother of French football star Paul Pogba, a three-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, after convicting him in a highly publicized extortion case.
Mathias, 33, will serve the remaining year of his sentence under house arrest, monitored by an electronic bracelet, avoiding time behind bars. He was also fined €20,000 for his role in the attempted extortion of €13 million ($13.5 million) from his brother in 2022. The court found Mathias guilty of pressuring Paul Pogba, as well as his family and business contacts, to extract payment.
Pogba’s lawyer, Mbeko Tabula, described the ruling as “extremely harsh” and announced plans to appeal. “He’s in shock,” Tabula said of his client. “From the beginning, he has insisted on his innocence, claiming he was manipulated and coerced, and that he would never intentionally harm his brother.”
The extortion case, involving six men linked to Paul Pogba, had sent shock waves through the French football community, especially because the perpetrators included three of Pogba’s childhood friends and his own brother. The court convicted all five other defendants of extortion, unlawful detention, and involvement in a criminal gang, handing them sentences of up to eight years in prison and fines ranging from €20,000 to €40,000.
Among them, Roushdane K., considered the mastermind of the scheme, received an eight-year prison sentence. However, the charge of kidnapping was dismissed, as the prosecutor had recommended.
The case dates back to March 2022, when Paul Pogba told investigators he was ambushed by childhood friends from the Paris suburb where he and Mathias grew up. Pogba recounted being forced into a Paris apartment, held at gunpoint by two hooded men armed with assault rifles, and ordered to pay €13 million for “services rendered.”
Pogba said he had initially paid €100,000 but refused to comply further. The court later ruled that the Juventus midfielder had suffered €197,000 in financial damages and €50,000 in psychological damages.
The situation became public in August 2022 when Mathias Pogba released a series of videos on social media, promising explosive revelations about his brother.
The trial adds another chapter to Paul Pogba’s turbulent recent years. Once a star player instrumental in France’s 2018 World Cup triumph, his career has since been plagued by injuries, inconsistent form, and off-field controversies.
After leaving Manchester United in 2022, Pogba rejoined Juventus but faced ongoing challenges, including a doping suspension that was recently reduced to 18 months on appeal. He will be eligible to return to play in March 2025, though Juventus terminated his contract last month.
