The blackmail trial involving Paul Pogba is set to open in Paris, where six men, including the Juventus and France midfielder’s brother Mathias, face charges of extortion, kidnapping, and forming a criminal gang, Soccernet.football reports.
The case, which begins on Tuesday according to France24, has sent shockwaves through French football, not least because three of the accused are Pogba’s childhood friends.
The defendants are accused of attempting to extort €13 million from Pogba in an ordeal that reportedly involved holding him at gunpoint.
According to Pogba, the alleged incident occurred in March 2022, when he was “tricked by childhood friends” in a Paris suburb.
The footballer told investigators he was abducted by two hooded men wielding assault rifles who demanded millions for “services rendered.”
Despite initially paying €100,000, Pogba said the threats persisted, including at the France national team’s training centre in Clairefontaine, his Manchester home, and Juventus’ facilities. He also paid a €57,000 Adidas bill linked to the accused.
Mathias Pogba intensified the public drama in August 2022 with a social media video promising “explosive revelations” about his brother.
He later accused Paul of casting an “evil spell” on teammate Kylian Mbappé. Pogba’s legal team dismissed the claims as part of the extortion attempt, noting that threats against the player had been ongoing.
“It’s been really difficult for me off the pitch,” Pogba told Al-Jazeera earlier this year. “Money changes people. It can destroy a family, start a war.”
While Mathias denies the allegations, he is charged with attempted extortion. His lawyer, Mbeko Tabula, refrained from commenting ahead of the trial.
Five other defendants face charges of extortion, kidnapping, and forming a criminal gang, but they claim to have been victims themselves.
French police, however, described them as a “criminal team” intent on extracting funds from Pogba after he cut off financial support.
The trial is another setback in Pogba’s tumultuous career, compounded by injuries, doping suspensions, and his contract termination at Juventus earlier this month.