Paul Pogba’s elder brother, Mathias Pogba, has been handed a three-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, after being found guilty of attempting to extort the French international and former Manchester United midfielder.
In addition to the prison sentence, Mathias was fined €20,000 (£16,500). He will not serve time in jail but will instead complete one year under electronic surveillance.
In a Paris court on Thursday, five men were convicted of extortion and other crimes, receiving sentences ranging from four to eight years.
Paul Pogba, aged 31, revealed he had been “tricked by childhood friends” who held him at gunpoint in 2022, demanding €13m (£10.8m). He paid them €100,000 (£82,600) in response.
Mathias Pogba’s lawyer, Mbeko Tabula, described the ruling as “extremely harsh” and added, “I think we will appeal.”
The remaining five defendants were sentenced as follows: Roushdane K received eight years, Boubacar C four years with two suspended, Adama C five years, Mamadou M five years with one year suspended, and Machikour K four years with three suspended.
Reflecting on the impact of the extortion attempt, Paul Pogba told Al Jazeera in 2034 that it made him contemplate retiring from football, “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, who had a career as a professional footballer, played for clubs such as Partick Thistle, Wrexham, Crewe Alexandra, and Crawley Town.
His most recent team was Belfort in France, where he left in 2022.
