Six men with ties to Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba are facing trial in Paris, accused of blackmail, attempted extortion, and holding the player at gunpoint.
The case has sent shockwaves through the French football world, particularly because three of the accused are childhood friends of Pogba, and one is his brother, Mathias.
The trial takes place amid Pogba’s ongoing professional difficulties, as Juventus recently canceled his contract after he was suspended for doping until March 2025.
The six men are accused of attempting to extort 13 million euros (about $13.5 million) from Pogba.
Mathias Pogba initially brought attention to the case, posting a video in August 2022 on social media.
In the video, he promised to reveal explosive information about his younger brother.
A follow-up clip featured Mathias accusing Paul Pogba of using dark magic on his France teammate Kylian Mbappe.
Paul Pogba’s lawyers and agent, Rafaela Pimenta, later stated that the videos were part of a broader campaign involving threats and attempts at extortion.
Pogba had already filed criminal complaints in Italy and France by July 2022, before the videos surfaced.
In his testimony to French investigators, Pogba explained that in March 2022, he was “tricked by childhood friends” from the Parisian suburb where he and Mathias grew up. He claimed that these friends, along with two other men holding assault rifles, kidnapped him and demanded 13 million euros for “services rendered,” accusing him of failing to support them financially.
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Pogba reported paying only 100,000 euros at the time.
He also described being pressured at various locations, including the France national team’s training center in Clairefontaine, his home in Manchester, and Juventus’ training ground.
Additionally, Pogba revealed that he paid a bill exceeding 57,000 euros at an Adidas store on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, which his childhood friends had run up.
Paul Pogba’s lawyer, Pierre-Jean Douvier, declined to comment when contacted by AFP ahead of the trial.
The accused men have all denied the allegations.
Karim Morand-Lahouazi, a lawyer representing one of the accused, suggested that the relationships between the men were amicable.
“They had a friendly relationship, with chats, joking around, and alongside that, yes, maybe Paul Pogba gave them a helping hand,” he stated.
According to a police summary of the case, which AFP reviewed, the childhood friends and other associates of Paul Pogba formed a “criminal team” with the objective of extorting 13 million euros from the footballer after he severed ties with them financially in early 2022.
The accused men assert that they, too, were victims of the hooded gunmen who reportedly 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 during the kidnapping, is charged with attempting to extort the 13 million euros from his brother and his family.
His lawyer, Mbeko Tabula, stated that he would not comment on the case until the trial concludes.
