Mathias Pogba, the older brother of French soccer star Paul Pogba, was on Thursday handed a three-year jail sentence after he was found guilty of trying to extort money from the former Manchester United and Juventus player.
Per BBC, Mathias, who is a former professional soccer player and Guinea international, was additionally hit with a €20,000 (around $20,000) fine. Mathias, 34, will, however, not spend time in jail as he was ordered to wear an electronic bracelet for a year.
Besides the 34-year-old, the Paris court also convicted five other men in the attempted extortion case and slapped them with jail sentences ranging between four and eight years.
The attempted extortion incident happened in 2022. Paul Pogba, 31, said he was detained at gunpoint by his “childhood friends” after they “tricked” him. Paul Pogba said he ended up paying the accused individuals €100,000 (around $100,000) after they made a €13 million (around $13 million) demand.
Responding to his conviction, Mathias’ lawyer, Mbeko Tabula, told RMC Sport that the punishment handed out to the 34-year-old was “extremely harsh,” BBC reported. “I think we will appeal,” Tabula added.
During a 2023 interview with Al Jazeera, Paul Pogba said the attempted extortion incident negatively impacted him to the extent that he even thought about hanging his boots.
“Money changes people. … It can break up a family. It can create a war,” the World Cup winner said. “Sometimes I was just by myself thinking, ‘I don’t want to have money anymore. I just don’t want to play anymore. I just want to be with normal people, so they will love me for me – not for the fame, not for the money.’ Sometimes it’s tough.”
Paul Pogba is currently unable to play professional soccer as he’s serving a doping ban.
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