A brother of World Cup winner Paul Pogba will stand trial with 5 different males as a part of an extortion case that focused the soccer participant two years in the past, the Paris prosecutor’s workplace stated Tuesday.
A decide ordered the six males to seem earlier than a courtroom following an investigation into whether or not Pogba was the goal of extortion by his brother, Mathias Pogba, and childhood associates, the workplace stated.
The prosecutor’s workplace stated Mathias Pogba, 34, was ordered to face trial “for the offenses of tried extortion and felony conspiracy.” The courtroom date has not been introduced.
The 5 others — recognized by their first names solely — allegedly demanded €13 million ($14.3 million) from the France midfielder, and repeatedly intimidated him, claiming he did not help them after he grew to become a world soccer star. They’re accused of extortion and tried extortion by utilizing violence, abduction and confinement to facilitate against the law or misdemeanor, in addition to felony conspiracy.
Through the investigation, Pogba stated he paid €100,000 to the organized group together with his brother. Based on French media stories, the 31-year-old participant additionally advised investigators the alleged extortionists needed to discredit him by claiming he requested a witch physician to solid a spell on teammate Kylian Mbappé. Pogba denied the allegation.
A lawyer for Mathias Pogba didn’t reply to a message searching for remark.
The case grew to become public after Mathias Pogba posted threats on social media to share “explosive” revelations about his brother, Paul’s agent Rafaela Pimenta, and Mbappé. Mathias Pogba was additionally a soccer participant who spent most of his profession with lower-tier groups in Europe.
As soon as one of many world’s high midfielders, Pogba has made the headlines extra usually for his off-field issues than for his soccer brilliance in recent times.
Earlier this 12 months, he was banned for the utmost 4 years by Italy’s anti-doping courtroom after testing optimistic for testosterone whereas at Juventus. He has appealed to the Switzerland-based Court docket of Arbitration for Sport.
Pogba was recognized for his versatility, physicality and eye for the aim. When he returned to Manchester United in 2016, the membership paid Juventus a then world-record switch price of €105 million.
Pogba rejoined Juventus in 2022 however then struggled with accidents. He was dominated out of France’s run to the 2022 World Cup last due to a knee harm. Pogba helped France win the earlier World Cup, scoring within the 4-2 win over Croatia within the last.