A brother of World Cup champion Paul Pogba, along with five other men, will face trial for extortion, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office on Tuesday. The trial follows an investigation into whether Paul Pogba was targeted by his brother, Mathias Pogba, and his childhood friends for extortion two years ago.
The prosecutor’s office stated that Mathias Pogba, who is 34 years old, is charged with attempted extortion and criminal conspiracy. The date for the court appearance has not yet been set.
The five other men, who are only named by their first names, are accused of demanding 13 million euros (about $14.3 million) from the French soccer star.
They allegedly used intimidation and violence, claiming that Pogba did not support them after his rise to fame. They face charges of extortion, attempted extortion, violence, abduction, confinement, and criminal conspiracy.
During the investigation, Pogba mentioned that he paid 100,000 euros to the group, which included his brother.
French media reports also indicate that Pogba told investigators the extortionists tried to discredit him by falsely claiming he asked a witch doctor to put a spell on his teammate, Kylian Mbappé. Pogba denied these claims.
Mathias Pogba’s lawyer did not reply to requests for comment. The case came to light after Mathias Pogba posted threats on social media, suggesting he had “explosive” information about his brother, Paul’s agent Rafaela Pimenta, and Mbappé. Mathias Pogba, who also played soccer, spent most of his career with lower-tier European teams.
Paul Pogba, once known as one of the top midfielders in the world, has recently been more in the news for his off-field issues rather than his soccer achievements.
