Mathias Pogba receives three-year sentence in extortion attempt against brother Paul

The elder brother of Paul Pogba, former Manchester United midfielder, has received a three-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, following his conviction for attempting to extort the French footballer. Mathias Pogba, who was also issued a fine of €20,000 (£16,500), will not serve time behind bars but will instead spend one year under electronic monitoring. On Thursday, a Paris court also found five other individuals guilty of extortion and additional offenses, handing down sentences ranging from four to eight years. Paul Pogba, aged 31, stated that he was “tricked by childhood friends” who, in 2022, held him at gunpoint and demanded €13m (£10.8m). He reported having paid them €100,000 (£82,600). Mbeko Tabula, the lawyer representing Mathias Pogba, informed RMC Sport that the sentencing was “extremely harsh” and indicated, “I think we will appeal.” The remaining five defendants received the following sentences: Roushdane K was given eight years; Boubacar C, four years with two suspended; Adama C, five years; Mamadou M, five years with 12 months suspended; and Machikour K, four years with three suspended. Last year, Paul Pogba disclosed to Al Jazeera that the extortion attempt had led him to consider retiring from his football career. He stated, “When there is money you have to be careful,” adding, “Money changes people. It can break up a family. It can create a war.” Mathias Pogba, a former professional footballer, previously played for clubs such as Partick Thistle, Wrexham, Crewe Alexandra, and Crawley Town. His final club was Belfort in France, which he departed in 2022. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.