The older brother of Paul Pogba, a former Manchester United star, has been sentenced to a three-year prison term—two years suspended—after being convicted of attempting to extort the renowned footballer.
Mathias Pogba, who has been fined €20,000 (£16,500), will avoid incarceration, instead serving one year with an electronic monitoring device.
In a recent Paris court ruling, five additional co-defendants were found guilty of extortion and related offenses, receiving sentences ranging from four to eight years.
Paul Pogba, 31, revealed he was “tricked by childhood friends” who held him at gunpoint in 2022 and demanded a staggering €13 million (£10.8 million). Reports indicate he paid them €100,000 (£82,600) during the ordeal.
Mathias Pogba’s attorney described the sentence as “extremely harsh” and noted an intention to appeal the decision.
The other defendants received varied sentences: Roushdane K was given eight years, Boubacar C received four years (two suspended), Adama C was sentenced to five years, Mamadou M received five years with 12 months suspended, and Machikour K was given four years with three suspended.
Paul Pogba has previously expressed that the extortion attempt led him to consider retirement from professional football. He remarked, “When there is money, you have to be careful. Money changes people. It can break up a family. It can create a war.”
Mathias Pogba, a former professional footballer, has played for clubs such as Partick Thistle, Wrexham, Crewe Alexandra, and Crawley Town, with his last club being Belfort in France before his departure in 2022.
