Six men linked to France midfielder Paul Pogba, including one of his brothers, went on trial in Paris on Tuesday accused of blackmail, attempted extortion of millions of euros and holding the player at gunpoint.
The case at the Paris criminal court has shocked the French football world — all the more so because the alleged perpetrators include three childhood friends and Pogba’s own brother Mathias.
Tuesday’s trial comes on top of professional woes for Pogba, whose career has struggled since France’s spectacular 2018 World Cup win when he scored against Croatia in the Moscow final.
He suffered through repeated injuries and patchy form that led to his 2022 departure from Manchester United, returning to Juventus where he remained in and out of treatment.
The Turin club this month cancelled his contract following his 18-month suspension until March 2025 for doping.
The six defendants in Paris are accused of attempting to squeeze 13 million euros ($13.5 million) out of Pogba.
All, including Mathias, and one defendant who has been remanded in custody, were present in court as the trial opened. Paul Pogba himself was not present and his lawyers have said he will not attend the trial.
Defence lawyers asked for the trial to be adjourned on procedural grounds with the court due to rule later.
Mathias was the one to go public in the case, publishing a video on social media in August 2022 promising revelations about his younger brother that were “likely to be explosive”.
In a subsequent clip, Mathias accused Paul Pogba of casting an evil spell on his France teammate Kylian Mbappe.
Paul Pogba’s lawyers and his agent Rafaela Pimenta said in a statement later that the videos “came on top of threats and attempts at extortion”.
He had already filed criminal complaints in Italy and France in July that year.