In a shocking turn of events, Mathias Pogba, the brother of World Cup winner Paul Pogba, has been sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended, for extorting his brother.
The Paris criminal court handed down the sentence on Thursday, December 19, 2024.
According to reports, Mathias Pogba and five other men demanded 13 million euros ($13.6 million) from Paul Pogba, who was held up at gunpoint by hooded men in March 2022.
The defendants repeatedly intimidated Pogba, claiming he should have supported them after he became an international soccer star.
The case took a dramatic turn when Mathias Pogba posted threats on social media to share “explosive” revelations about his brother, fellow French star Kylian Mbappe, and Paul Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta.
Paul Pogba had previously paid 100,000 euros ($104,000) to the organized group, including his brother.
The court also found that Paul Pogba had suffered economic losses of 197,000 euros ($204,000) and moral losses of 50,000 euros ($52,000).
The defendants, except Mathias Pogba, were ordered to jointly pay this sum to the former Juve player.
Mathias Pogba’s lawyer has announced plans to appeal the ruling.
The sentence is seen as a significant blow to the Pogba family, with Paul Pogba’s career already marred by controversy and injury.
In related news, Paul Pogba’s contract with Juventus was recently canceled, despite his ban for doping being reduced from four years to 18 months.
Pogba will be free to resume his career in March.
-BY Daniel Bampoe