Mathias Pogba, the older brother of World Cup, winner Paul Pogba, was sentenced to three years in prison by a Paris criminal court on Thursday, for his involvement in an extortion and kidnapping scheme targeting his famous sibling.
The court handed down a sentence of three years, two of which are suspended.
The 33-year-old, who had already spent time in detention, will serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest with electronic monitoring. His lawyer confirmed plans to appeal the decision.
The case stems from a disturbing incident in March 2022 when Paul Pogba, the French football star and Juventus midfielder, was held at gunpoint by a group of masked men, including Mathias Pogba and childhood friends.
The group reportedly demanded €13 million ($13.6 million) from Paul, claiming he should have financially supported them after his rise to international stardom.
Mathias Pogba and his accomplices were charged with attempted extortion, kidnapping, and criminal conspiracy.
In addition to Mathias Pogba’s sentence, Roushdane K., who was suspected of orchestrating the blackmail scheme, was sentenced to eight years in prison.
The other members of the group received various jail terms. During the trial, it was revealed that Paul Pogba had paid €100,000 ($104,000) to the gang.
The court also awarded Paul Pogba €197,000 ($204,000) for financial losses and €50,000 ($52,000) for moral damages, to be paid by the defendants, excluding Mathias.
The incident became public in 2022 after Mathias Pogba made headlines by threatening on social media to release “explosive” information about his brother, including details about Paul’s relationship with French star Kylian Mbappé and his agent, Rafaela Pimenta.
Mathias Pogba, who also played football, had a relatively low-profile career, spending most of his time with lower-tier teams across Europe.
The case has attracted considerable attention, casting a shadow over the once-promising career of Paul Pogba, who has faced a series of off-field controversies in recent years.
Just earlier this month, Juventus officially canceled Pogba’s contract, despite a reduction in his doping ban.
After testing positive for testosterone in August 2022, the French midfielder was initially banned for four years but had his sentence cut to 18 months after appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which acknowledged that the positive test was due to an error in taking a prescribed supplement.
Pogba’s ban will end in March 2024, allowing him to return to professional football.
In the wake of the extortion case, the scandal surrounding the Pogba brothers only adds to the tension around Paul’s football career, which has been marred by injuries and legal issues since his high-profile move to Manchester United in 2016.
