Six individuals connected to France national team player Paul Pogba will face trial for attempted extortion and blackmail amounting to several million euros.
The case in the criminal court of Paris has shaken the French football world, primarily because among those involved are three childhood friends of Pogba, as well as the footballer’s brother, Mathias. The six individuals are accused of attempting to extort 13 million euros from Pogba. His brother Mathias posted a video on social media in August 2022, promising revelations about his younger brother that would allegedly be “explosive.” In a subsequent video, Mathias accused Paul Pogba of profanity towards his national team partner Kylian Mbappe.
Later, Pogba's lawyers and his agent Rafaela Pimenta stated that the videos “emerged in the context of threats and attempts at blackmail.”