Mathias Pogba, the brother of World Cup-winning midfielder Paul Pogba, was sentenced by a Paris legal court docket on Thursday to a few years in jail, with two years suspended, for his involvement in an extortion and kidnapping case.
Having already hung out in custody, Mathias will serve the rest of his sentence underneath home arrest with digital monitoring. The ruling aligns with the prosecution’s request, however Mathias’ lawyer has introduced plans to attraction.
The trial stemmed from allegations that Mathias and 5 others tried to extort Paul Pogba in 2022.
The group reportedly demanded €13 million ($13.6 million) from the French midfielder and allegedly held him at gunpoint in March 2022.
Roushdane Okay., recognized because the mastermind behind the blackmail, was sentenced to eight years in jail. Different accomplices additionally obtained jail phrases.
Mathias Pogba had confronted prices of tried extortion and legal conspiracy.
Paul Pogba, who didn’t attend the trial, revealed in the course of the investigation that he had paid €100,000 ($104,000) to the group, which included his brother.
The court docket decided that Pogba suffered monetary losses of €197,000 ($204,000) and ethical damages of €50,000 ($52,000).
It ordered all defendants, besides Mathias, to collectively compensate the footballer.
The case gained public consideration after Mathias posted social media threats to disclose ‘explosive’ details about his brother, fellow French star Kylian Mbappé, and agent Rafaela Pimenta.
Paul Pogba’s Current Struggles
As soon as considered one of many world’s greatest midfielders, Paul Pogba has confronted quite a few challenges off the sphere. Earlier this month, Juventus introduced the mutual termination of his contract, a call influenced by his doping ban.
Pogba examined constructive for testosterone in August 2023 and was initially handed a four-year suspension. Nonetheless, the ban was diminished to 18 months by the Courtroom of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which cited the unintentional use of a doctor-prescribed complement. Pogba will probably be eligible to renew his profession in March 2025.
A former record-breaking switch, Pogba joined Manchester United in 2016 for €105 million ($116 million) however returned to Juventus in 2022 as a free agent.
Accidents restricted him to simply eight Serie A appearances earlier than his doping case emerged.
The 30-year-old’s profession highlights embody enjoying a pivotal position in France’s 2018 World Cup triumph. Regardless of his latest setbacks, Pogba might make a comeback in skilled soccer after his suspension ends.
