Six men linked to Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba face trial from Tuesday, accused of blackmail, attempted extorsion of millions of euros and holding the player at gunpoint.

The case at the Paris criminal court has shocked the French football world — all the more so because the perpetrators include three childhood friends and Pogba’s own brother Mathias.

The development comes as Pogba battles professional woes, as Juventus this month cancelled his contract following his suspension until March 2025 for doping.

In total, the group are accused of attempting to squeeze 13 million euros ($13.5 million) out of the player.

Mathias was himself the one to go public in the case, publishing a video on social networks in August 2022 in French, Italian, English and Spanish.

He promised revelations about his younger brother that were “likely to be explosive” while remaining vague about the details.

In a subsequent clip, Mathias accused his younger brother of casting an evil spell on his France teammate Kylian Mbappe.

Paul Pogba’s lawyers and his agent Rafaela Pimenta said in a statement later in August 2022 that the videos “came on top of threats and attempts at extortion as part of a criminal gang” against their client.

He had already filed criminal complaints in Italy and France in July that year.

Pogba told French investigators that he had in March 2022 been “tricked by childhood friends” from the neighbourhood in Roissy-en-Brie outside Paris where he and Mathias grew up.

He accused them of snatching him before he was held at gunpoint by two hooded men with assault rifles, demanding 13 million euros for “services rendered” — blaming the footballer for failing to help them financially since his professional success.

Pogba said at the time that he had paid them only 100,000 euros.

The footballer said he had also been pressured at the France national team’s training centre in Clairefontaine, at one of his homes in Manchester, and at Juventus’ training ground.

Pogba added that he had also paid a bill of more than 57,000 euros that the same friends had racked up at the Adidas store on Paris’ glitzy Champs-Elysees avenue.

Paul Pogba’s lawyer Pierre-Jean Douvier declined to comment ahead of the case when contacted by AFP.

– ‘Like my family’ –
A police overview of the case seen by AFP calls the childhood friends and other acquaintances of Paul Pogba “a criminal team… with the objective of extracting 13 million euros from Paul, who had cut them off financially” early in 2022.

All of the accused deny the allegations, claiming they themselves were victims of the hooded men who held Paul Pogba at gunpoint who have never been identified.

All five face charges of extorsion, kidnapping and forming a criminal gang.

Mathias Pogba, who was not present the night his brother was snatched, is suspected of “pressuring his brother Paul and his family to ensure the payment of the sum of 13 million euros”.

He is charged with attempted extorsion and forming a criminal gang.

Mathias Pogba’s lawyer Mbeko Tabula said he would not comment until the end of the trial.

Mathias claimed months ago that he was only a “puppet” in the extorsion affair, making an emotional appeal to see his brother again.

“I hope our bond will be strengthened again” through a meeting, he said at the time.

The so-called “Pogba affair” has put in the spotlight brotherly ties poisoned by competition and money, but also the difficulty professional footballers can face keeping up friendships with those who knew them before their success.

“Despite everything that’s happened, they’ll always have a place in my heart… they were like my family,” Paul Pogba said in September 2023 after he and the defendants were jointly questioned by investigators.

By AFP

Manchester City‘s recent run of bad form has seen them drop from title favourites to five points off the top spot in just a matter of weeks as Pep Guardiola looks to reimagine his tactical set-up yet again over the coming months.

Four defeats in a row, including a 4-1 hammering away to Sporting CP in the Champions League, have left the Cityzens in unfamiliar territory desperately searching for answers.

Recent news of Guardiola’s contract extension will undoubtedly provide a lift, although a core of ageing players will likely need much more to bring their performances back to the levels they have become accustomed to over the past few seasons.

City opted for a quiet summer transfer window with the ongoing court case against the Premier League swirling over their heads, signing Savinho and Ilkay Gundogan – who ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best central midfielders in the world right now – for a combined fee of just £30 million.

This was met by a wealth of outgoings, with Julian Alvarez and Joao Cancelo both leaving for big fees as Guardiola begins to overhaul a squad responsible for lifting each of the last four Premier League titles.

Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan raises his thumb during his side’s Euro 2024 match against Switzerland.

Former Premier League and Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer believes that much more needs to be done to get the squad firing on all cylinders once more, taking aim at seven first-team players who could soon be on their way out.

“Looking through their current squad, you’ve got Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Kyle Walker, Ederson & even John Stones who are all 30+ years old,” the pundit told Betfair. “So you could argue the bulk of their squad is in a state of natural decline.

“However, you could also argue whether a little bit of their hunger may have also decreased, because a lot of those players have been incredibly successful and I don’t care who or what you are, it’s difficult to keep going again, again and again.

“They’ve done it so many times now so it’s a big ask for them to come back and go again, and only time will tell. They also have the off-field charges that have been put to them as a football club to deal with, and the questions that are going to be asked there too.”

Guardiola’s side welcome bogey team Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad on Saturday as they look to avoid losing five consecutive games for the first time since the Spaniard’s appointment back in 2016.

The Cityzens cannot afford to lose any more ground on runaway league leaders Liverpool, who currently sit five points ahead after just 11 games this season.

Rodri has said Pep Guardiola‘s contract extension is “an important incentive” for him to continue at Manchester City but left the door open for a transfer to Real Madrid by calling their reported interest “an honour.”

Rodri, who tore his right ACL in September, celebrated the news that Guardiola signed a two-year deal to remain at the Etihad stadium through June 2027.

“It is a joy that Pep has decided to continue,” Rodri, 28, told Cadena Ser radio in Spain. “It’s clear that he has been the most influential coach of my career. It’s a joy for the club and for the Citizens for him to continue for at least two more years. When I signed there [with City in 2019], they told me that Pep would only stay for one or two years…”

When asked about his future, Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, said: “My focus is on my recovery. I have two years left on my contract, the time is approaching to sit down and speak again. It’s clear that it [Guardiola’s contract extension] is an important incentive. I feel very valued at the club. For the time being I’m very happy.”

Rodri, who joined City in the summer of 2019 from Atletico Madrid, in fact, does not rule out ending his playing career at the Etihad even if he is a target of Real Madrid next summer.

Asked if he would consider joining Madrid, Rodri said: “Obviously when Madrid, the best and most successful club in history, calls you, it is an honour. You always have to pay attention. But obviously of course not. I don’t look too far ahead but it’s a possibility that I could perfectly end my career in England.

“It’s a country that has given me everything, I have fallen in love with football there. The club is spectacular, not just from a sporting level but how it’s structured. I feel comfortable and loved there. But Spain is my country. I am always aware of the League, the level of the teams is growing more and more. I’ve been lucky to play in both leagues, to have the best coaches in the world and I feel very satisfied.”

Rodri, who was voted the best player at Euro 2024 after leading Spain to the title, is aiming to return before the end of the season.

“Right now I’m not thinking about football, about winning,” he said. “I’m just thinking about giving myself a chance to recover to regain the level I had before.

Asked if he could return to play in March or April, Rodri said: “Yes. From a mental standpoint, my aim is to play this season. Each year, the seasons are longer. I don’t know how much I will be able to contribute but having the Nations League and the Club World Cup in June and July, I think I will be able to do so.”

The club are second in the Premier League, five points adrift of leaders Liverpool, and are 10th in the Champions League group standings.

“It’s clear that we are going through a negative spell,” Rodri said. “It’s not the first time. If there’s a team that has shown that it can bounce back it’s our team. I have no doubt that we will come out of this. We have a strong team. I’m eager to return in order to give the team encouragement.”