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Controversy continues to follow around former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba as his brother, Mathias Pogba, will stand trial as part of an extortion case that targeted the French international two years ago.
Pogba was released by United in 2022 after failing to live up to his spectacular £89m transfer fee after his move from Juventus.
The Frenchman moved back to his former side that summer, but he only played 10 times for the Old Lady due to ongoing injury problems.
Things went from bad to worse for the 31 year old as he tested positive for having additional testosterone in his system and was subsequently banned for four years by Italy’s anti-doping court earlier this year.
Pogba insists that he is innocent and has appealed the decision, claiming that is career as a footballer is still not over.
ESPN now report that “a brother of World Cup winner Paul Pogba will stand trial with five other men as part of an extortion case that targeted the soccer player two years ago, the Paris prosecutor’s office said Tuesday.”
“The prosecutor’s office said Mathias Pogba, 34, was ordered to stand trial ‘for the offences of attempted extortion and criminal conspiracy.’ The court date has not been announced.”
“The five others, identified by their first names only, allegedly demanded €13 million from the France midfielder, and repeatedly intimidated him, claiming he didn’t support them after he became an international soccer star.”
The charges include “attempted extortion by using violence, abduction and confinement to facilitate a crime or misdemeanour, as well as criminal conspiracy.”
The former United man claimed that he had paid €100,000 to the group and they tried to publicly discredit him by claiming he asked a witchdoctor to cast a spell on French teammate Kylian Mbappe.
With Pogba out of action until 2027, unless his ban is overturned, he has been involved in a film project, with “4 Zeros” being released in April next year.
The midfielder is currently taking his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and will hope he can return to a football pitch professionally long before 2027.
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